Date: February 3, 2004
News Release
Top High School Students Compete in National Ocean Sciences Bowl: Great Lakes
Regional Competition
For immediate release, Ann Arbor, MI
Contact: Laura Florence, Laura.Florence@noaa.gov, Phone: 734-741-2262
Web site: http://www.glerl.noaa.gov/pr/nosb/cur/
Did you know that ocean “deserts” with limited life forms exist in some surface waters of
the ocean called tropical gyres? You would, if you were one of the 80 high school
students from 11 high schools across the region participating in the Great Lakes Bowl
this Saturday at the University of Michigan. The winning regional team will go on to
compete in the 7th Annual National Ocean Sciences Bowl (NOSB) on April 24th in
Charleston, South Carolina, competing against 23 other regional champions from around
the country.
Port Hope Community School, last year’s regional champion, is returning with a strong
team under the coaching of science teacher Elaine Biondo. But Regional Coordinator
Laura Florence says that all of the returning teams are formidable.
“The teams have been studying hard for this, and it’s going to be an exciting
competition,” says Florence.
Most coaches form study groups or after-school clubs to prepare for the NOSB
tournaments, and many students participate on their own time, outside of their usual
science classes. They study from college and even graduate-level textbooks to learn as
much as possible about the interdisciplinary ocean sciences, which include biology,
chemistry, geology, physics and mathematics. The competition includes Q&A “buzzer”
rounds and team challenge questions. A sample of quiz questions is available at
www.nosb.org.
The National Ocean Sciences Bowl is sponsored by the Consortium for Oceanographic
Research & Education (CORE) to encourage and support “the next generation of marine
scientists, policy makers, teachers, explorers, researchers, technicians, environmental
advocates, and informed citizens.” Approximately 2,000 students from 375 high schools
participate. CORE represents 74 oceanographic institutions, universities and aquaria, and
is funded by the National Oceanographic Partnership Program, a collaboration of 15
federal agencies.
The Great Lakes Bowl is hosted regionally by the NOAA Great Lakes Environmental
Research Laboratory, the Cooperative Institute for Limnology and Ecosystems Research,
the Michigan Sea Grant College Program, and the University of Michigan. NOAA is
dedicated to enhancing economic security and national safety through the prediction and
research of weather and climate-related events and providing environmental stewardship
of the nation’s coastal and marine resources. NOAA is part of the U.S. Department of
Commerce.
The competition will take place on Saturday, February 7, at 8:00 AM and will be held at
the University of Michigan’s School of Natural Resources and Environment Dana
Building, 430 E. University. Admission is free and the public is welcome to attend.
NOAA Offices in Michigan:
Great Lakes Environmental Research Laboratory; Cooperative Institute For Limnology And Ecosystems
Research; Michigan Sea Grant College Program; National Weather Service; National Ocean Service,
National Marine Sanctuary Program, Thunder Bay National Marine Sanctuary and Underwater Preserve
(Alpena); Office of Ocean and Coastal Resource Management, Michigan Coastal Management Program
and; Center for Operational Oceanographic Products and Services.