Inspiring Tomorrow’s Ocean Leaders
Inspiring Tomorrow’s Ocean Leaders
Regional Coordinators
Volunteers
The NOSB is an academic competition and program that addresses a national gap in environmental and earth sciences in public education by introducing high school students to and engaging them in ocean science, preparing them for ocean science-related and other STEM careers, and helping them become knowledgeable community members and environmental stewards.
Find your local competition!
All states are eligible to compete. Contact us to learn more.
Regional NOSB competitions are held at universities, research institutions, laboratories, science centers, and aquaria across the country. Each year, up to 2,000 students from 350 high schools and 1,500 volunteers participate in the program. Use the map to find details, such as the competition date, location, and the regional coordinator’s contact information, for your closest regional competition. Interested teams should review the Information for Teams page and our Competition Rules page to ensure eligibility, then contact your nearest bowl’s regional coordinator or visit their provided website to find out how to participate.
2027 Competition Dates Now Available
- Regional Bowl Locations
- States with Regional Bowl Participants in the Last Year
Competition Year Timeline
A general overview of a typical NOSB competition year. Specific dates vary between regional competitions and years.
2027 Competition Updates
It’s back-to-school season, and that means it’s the start of another NOSB competition year. So grab your buzzers and form your team; it’s time to dive in because 2027 competition dates are now available!
We are actively updating the regional map above with competition details as Regional Coordinators confirm their plans. Unfortunately, due to challenges at both the national and regional levels, some regional competitions may not be held again this year, while others may be returning. Please check the website over the next month for updates as we work with regional host sites and coordinators and lock in information for you.
Teams of high school students that do not have a regional bowl happening near them have two options:
- Coaches can email the National Office with a request to attend another regional bowl in-person, and we will explore opportunities with the relevant Regional Coordinators.
- Teams can compete head-to-head virtually on Zoom in the Virtual Sponge Bowl taking place on March 20 and 21, 2027. More info coming soon.
There will also be a National Finals Competition! However, we are piloting a new competition format in 2027. To pivot from the buzzer competition, which remains more impactful during the in-person regional events, the national office is collaborating with the Ocean Conservancy to host a virtual, scored poster presentation competition. This National Finals Competition format will allow students to build a different set of skills beyond the buzzer competition and reduce the amount of time teams and volunteers need to spend on Zoom while competing. More information will be shared ahead of the regional competitions.
