National Ocean Sciences Bowl
Regional Competition

Santa Monica High School team members: Dimitry Petrenko (Team Captain), Shea Ritchie, Rina Amatya, Jak Koning, Coach Ingo Gaida receiving their third place award at the National Ocean Sciences Bowl in Seaward, Alaska.

Twenty-five high schools from all over the United States competed in the National Ocean Sciences Bowl Final Competition in Seaward, Alaska. After winning their respective regional competitions in February, the twenty-five champion high schools had the opportunity to compete over their knowledge of our oceans during the two-day NOSB competition. Santa Monica High School representing the partnership between JPL & USC made it all the way to the finals taking 3rd place and winning a four day trip to Catalina Island where they will kayak, snorkel with adolescent leopard sharks and assist with tagging fish.

The top four teams were:
4th Place – Dexter High School – Dexter, MI
3rd Place – Santa Monica High School – Santa Monica, CA
2nd Place – Mission San Jose High School – San Jose, CA
1st Place – Lincoln-Sudbury High School – Sudbury, MA

More information: Sample questions

The National Ocean Sciences Bowl, coordinated by the Consortium for Oceanographic Research and Education, is in many ways similar to the National Science Bowl but focuses specifically on ocean-related topics. Student teams compete nationwide, answering questions about biology, chemistry, geology and physics of the oceans, as well as navigation, geography and related history and literature.

Following a similar format, the National Ocean Sciences Bowl invites winning teams from regional competitions to go head-to-head at the finals in Seaward, Alaska. JPL, in association with the University of Southern California, co-hosts Surf Bowl, the regional competition in Los Angeles. This year's Surf Bowl was held at USC February 23, 2008. We look forward to next year's regional competition, which will be held on Feb 21, 2009 at USC.