Finals Competition
The National Ocean Sciences Bowl is a timed competition for teams of high school students involving critical thought questions and “rapid memory recall” responses via a “lock-out” responder system. Question topics cover the biology, physics, geology, and chemistry of the oceans,as well as related geography, technology, history, policy, and current events. These rules apply to the Regional and national Finals competitions.
The National Finals Competition, the annual culmination of the NOSB program, is a three-day event in which the top team from each of our 25 regional bowls competes for nation-wide recognition. Finals changes location each year to expose students to different universities and institutions, regional science and environmental issues, and local culture. In addition to competing, students also take part in a career mentoring event, environmental field trips, presentations by ocean science experts, a mock Congressional briefing, the Science Expert Briefing, and hands-on activities.
All teams receive recognition for their hard work and achievement at Finals. The top eight teams receive a variety of prizes ranging from textbooks and gift certificates, with the first and second place teams also receiving experiential summer award trips that provides these teams with unique hands-on field and laboratory experience in the marine sciences. Past NOSB champions have had the opportunity to visit various marine research locations around the U.S. and the world including Hawaii, California, Florida, Costa Rica, Panama, and Monaco.
Note to the NOSB community
With heavy hearts, we regret to inform our National Ocean Sciences Bowl (NOSB) community that the Consortium for Ocean Leadership (COL) Board of Trustees and Voting Members voted in early July to dissolve COL as [...]
