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USGS Participates in CORE's National Ocean Sciences "Spoonbill" Bowl
The Spoonbill Bowl is a regional-level competition challenging high-school students to compete against other schools, using their knowledge of ocean science. It is part of the National Ocean Sciences Bowl®, created by the Consortium for Oceanographic Research and Education (CORE) to raise students' awareness and understanding of the Earth's ocean systems (see National Ocean Sciences Bowl and related article "Getting to the CORE of Ocean Sciences—Admiral West Discusses Pew Oceans Commission Report at USGS Office in St. Petersburg, FL"). This year is the first time this academic competition has been held in St. Petersburg, FL. The local Spoonbill Bowl was held at the University of South Florida (USF)'s College of Marine Science and the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission's Fish and Wildlife Research Institute in St. Petersburg. Local sponsors included the USF College of Marine Science, the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), the Florida Aquarium, the Pier Aquarium, and Mote Marine Laboratory. All of these sponsors donated educational materials, facilities, and volunteers to staff the event. Edith Widder, a researcher with Harbor Branch Oceanographic Institution, kicked off the event on February 12 with a keynote address—a visually exciting talk about bioluminescence and her latest research in identifying and quantifying bioluminescent organisms in our oceans. Her program included incredible video footage of deep-marine organisms using bioluminescence to attract mates, sound alarms, and identify one another in the dark, deep ocean. The 11 teams from various parts of Florida challenged each other's knowledge of ocean science with questions spanning a range of scientific fields, including biology, geology, chemistry, and physical oceanography. Nine USGS participants—Lauren Yeager, Jack Kindinger, Wayne Baldwin, Justin Krebs, Jim Flocks, Don Hickey, Marci Marot, Noreen Buster, and Ann Tihansky—served in this event as science judges, science experts, runners, timekeepers, and scorekeepers. The final four teams were Lake Brantley High School of Altamonte Springs, Durant High School of Plant City, Mitchell High School of New Port Richey, and Seminole High School of Seminole. Lake Brantley and Durant competed for third place, with Lake Brantley winning. Seminole and Mitchell went head to head for first and second places. It was a close match, with Mitchell ahead 48 to 45 in the last few seconds when a contested Seminole team answer for four points was judged favorably by USGS science expert Don Hickey, putting Seminole ahead for the win by one point (48 to 49). It was a very exciting day. Seminole High School will advance to Biloxi, MS, for the final national championship competition in April. CORE's 2005 National Ocean Sciences Bowl® (NOSB®) nationwide competition is supported by U.S. Government agencies through the National Oceanographic Partnership Program (NOPP); these sponsors include the National Science Foundation (NSF), the U.S. Navy Office of Naval Research (ONR), the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), the USGS, the U.S. Minerals Management Service (MMS), the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), and the Oceanographer of the Navy. Several nongovernmental organizations also sponsor the NOSB®, including the Ocean Conservancy, the Sea Education Association, the Marine Technology Society, the Wrigley Institute for Environmental Studies at the University of South Carolina, the National Marine Educators Association, the Bermuda Biological Station for Research, Inc., the Oceanic Engineering Society, Dolphin Quest, and the Hilton Waikoloa Village.
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in this issue:
Why Wasn't the Second Tsunami Larger? Assessing Tsunami Impacts in the Maldives
Mountain Beaver Population Slow to Recover After Wildfire
USGS Participates in "Spoonbill Bowl" USGS Scientist Interviewed About Hurricane Research Researcher Shares Coral-Reef Expertise
New Nematode Named After USGS Scientist USGS Biologist Recognized by National Park Service
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U. S. Department of the Interior | U.S. Geological Survey
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