Quiz-bowl style academic competition on ocean-related topics coming to UH Manoa campus

University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa
Contact:
Cindy Knapman, (808) 956-7410
Communications Leader, Sea Grant College Program
Posted: Feb 1, 2018

Students from around the state will put their quiz bowl skills on ocean-related topics to the test by competing in the Aloha Bowl on Saturday, February 3, from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. at Sakamaki Hall on the UH Mānoa campus. High schools from Oʻahu, Maui and Kaua‘i, and a homeschool team, will face off in the regional component of the 21st annual National Ocean Sciences Bowl (NOSB).

The NOSB, an interdisciplinary ocean science education program of the Consortium for Ocean Leadership, is a quiz-bowl style academic competition that tests students’ knowledge of ocean-related topics, which include the cross-disciplines of biology, chemistry, policy, physics and geology.  

The competition theme is Our Ocean Shaping Weather. Around the country – whether you’re in a hurricane’s path or seeing fewer snowfalls in the Rockies – you can see the effect of the ocean’s influence on weather. The ocean absorbs half of the sun’s heat that reaches Earth, influencing weather on a global scale as currents move water and heat around the planet and as evaporation of ocean water leads to precipitation. One small change in ocean conditions can produce variations in weather patterns (in the short-term) and climate (in the long-term). Some of the competition questions will focus on this theme.

Students at the Aloha Bowl aren’t the only ones testing their ocean science knowledge – around the nation, young scholars will be competing in 22 other bowls this month. The winner of each regional bowl will meet in the national finals competition from April 19-22 at the University of Colorado Boulder. It is co-hosted by the Cooperative Institute for Research in Environmental Sciences.

Supporters at home can follow the competition on Twitter with the hashtags #NOSBRocks and #NOSB18.

Confirmed high schools competing in the Aloha Bowl are Iolani, Kalani, Maui, Mililani and Waimea high schools. There is also a homeschool team.  

The 2018 national NOSB program is made possible through the following sponsors:

  • National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
  • Wendy and Eric Schmidt
  • Deerbrook Charitable Trust
  • National Aeronautics and Space Administration
  • Eastman Foundation
  • Shell Exploration & Production Company
  • Lockheed Martin
  • Joint Institute for Marine and Atmospheric Research, School of Ocean and Earth Science and Technology, University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa
  • University of Hawai‘i Sea Grant College Program

                                                                                    
About National Ocean Sciences Bowl

The National Ocean Sciences Bowl (NOSB) is a program of the Consortium for Ocean Leadership based in Washington, D.C. Now in its 21st year, the NOSB seeks to interest students in pursuing a college degree and a future career in the ocean sciences. Through this educational forum, the NOSB strives to encourage and support the next generation of marine scientists, policy makers, teachers, explorers, researchers, technicians, environmental advocates, and informed citizens to consider and appreciate the ocean. Most high school students do not have the opportunity to study ocean science as part of their formal coursework, which makes the NOSB one of the only ways students gain exposure to this field.  Many past NOSB participants have moved on to pursue college degrees and careers in ocean science, helping to solve the growing environmental, economic and security issues facing our ocean and planet. 

About Consortium for Ocean Leadership

The Consortium for Ocean Leadership (COL) is a Washington, D.C. nonprofit organization that represents the leading public and private ocean research education institutions, aquaria and industry with the mission to shape the future of ocean science and technology. In addition to its advocacy role as the voice of the ocean research and technology community, COL manages a variety of community-wide research and education programs in areas of ocean observing, ocean exploration, and ocean partnerships.

The University of Hawai‘i Sea Grant College Program is part of the University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa’s prestigious School of Ocean and Earth Science and Technology. It supports an innovative program of research, education and extension services directed to the improved understanding and stewardship of coastal and marine resources of the state, region and nation. Science serving Hawai‘i and the Pacific since 1968.

For more information, visit: http://seagrant.soest.hawaii.edu/aloha-bowl