NOAA ADMINISTRATOR AWARDS FLORIDA KEYS TRIP TO STUDENT TEAM
IN NATIONAL OCEAN SCIENCES BOWL

The nation’s top ocean manager awarded a trip through the Florida Keys ecosystem to the second place team from Monterey, California’s Mission San Jose High School in yesterday’s closing contest and ceremony of the National Ocean Sciences Bowl (NOSB) finals, an intense competition of more than 100 students from 22 high schools from across the nation held at the University of California San Diego this year.

Retired Navy Vice Adm. Conrad C. Lautenbacher, Ph.D., undersecretary of commerce for oceans and atmosphere and administrator of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) presented the NOAA sponsored second prize of a 5-6 day trip of kayaking through the mangroves of Key Largo and snorkeling on the coral reefs of the Dry Tortugas National Park the Florida Keys. The five person team will also visit the Dolphin Research Center on Grassy Key. The trip is provided by NOAA National Ocean Service.

"The National Ocean Sciences Bowl is an excellent vehicle for increasing awareness of ocean related science and careers for students," said Lautenbacher. "I hope that these young men and women will continue to pursue their interest in the ocean sciences and perhaps become leaders in this vital field of work."

Inaugurated in 1998 and managed by the Consortium for Oceanographic Research and Education (CORE), the NOSB provides an educational forum for students to excel in math and science and receive national recognition for their talent. It has generated student interest and excitement about science and the oceans, giving young people a chance to examine marine science, both as an in-depth area of study and as a possible career.

In addition to NOAA, the National Ocean Sciences Bowl receives financial support from eight other federal agencies including the Department of Energy, Environmental Protection Agency, Minerals Management Service, National Aeronautics and Space Administration, National Science Foundation, Oceanographer of the Navy, Office of Naval Research, and the U.S. Geological Survey.

The Commerce Department’s National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (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 our nation’s coastal and marine resources.

On the Web: http://www.noaa.gov