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by Staff |  February 10, 2016
Top science students from Virginia compete in 19th-annual regional ocean science bowl
Bishop Sullivan Catholic High School of Virginia Beach defended their title as winners of the annual Blue Crab Bowl for the ninth-straight year during the competition held at Old Dominion University in Norfolk on February 6th.
The Blue Crab Bowl is the Virginia regional competition of the National Ocean Science Bowl (NOSB©), an annual academic contest to test knowledge of the oceans among high-school students. Bishop Sullivan will move on to represent the Commonwealth at the National Ocean Science Bowl on April 21-24 in Morehead City, North Carolina.
This year’s Blue Crab Bowl pitted 16 teams representing 9 Virginia high schools from across the Commonwealth, from Manassas in the north to Virginia Beach in the south, and from Warrenton in the west to Exmore on the Eastern Shore.
The 80 students spent the day in heated tournament competition focused on the marine sciences. It was a challenging day of both round-robin and double-elimination matches—more than 45 in all—but, after a tense final match-up, Bishop Sullivan Catholic High from Virginia Beach took 1st place, continuing its multi-year winning streak. In a very close 2nd place was Chesapeake Bay Governor’s School, Warsaw Campus Team A, coached by VIMS alumna Bethany Smith. Sweeping 3rd and 4th place were Broadwater Academy’s Teams A and B from Exmore.
The Blue Crab Bowl is a cooperative effort between the Virginia Institute of Marine Science, College of William and Mary, and Old Dominion University’s Department of Ocean, Earth, and Atmospheric Sciences. More than 70 scientists, including faculty, graduate students, and staff from both institutions and NOAA donated many hours of their time to ensure the success of the event.
Virginia’s Blue Crab Bowl was among the inaugural NOSB competitions in 1998. Designed to inspire and challenge high-school students, NOSB contests like the Blue Crab Bowl test the competitors’ knowledge of the marine sciences, covering the breadth of oceanography and maritime disciplines. To date, the Blue Crab Bowl has involved more than 1,500 of the Commonwealth’s brightest science students from 52 public and private schools across Virginia.
The event alternates between VIMS and ODU. Next year’s 20th-annual Blue Crab Bowl will take place on the VIMS campus in Gloucester Point.
The theme of the 2016 National Ocean Sciences Bowl and its local competitions is “Our Changing Ocean: Science for Strong Coastal Communities,” a timely and relevant topic given that escalating population, erosion, more frequent flooding, development, storm impacts, and pollution are among the stressors that impact the protection, economic revenue, security, food, and recreational opportunities provided by our nation’s coasts.
Dr. Carol Hopper Brill, the Bowl Coordinator at VIMS, says “Using questions designed by marine scientists and educators, the contest tested students’ knowledge of oceanography, geology, biology, maritime history, and policy. The Bowl provides a forum for students who excel in math and science to receive regional and national recognition for their diligence and talent.”
Guided by their teacher coaches, students broadened their awareness and understanding of the oceans as they prepared for the competition. During Saturday's event, the competition started with a field of 16 teams, with 4 emerging as top contenders by late afternoon.
At the end of the day, all teams were recognized during the Awards Ceremony by Bowl Coordinators Hopper Brill and Dr. Victoria Hill from ODU. Prizes—including custom-made trophies for the top 4 teams—were presented by Emily Hein, representing VIMS’ Office of Research and Advisory Services. The students received prizes and were applauded for their accomplishments and encouraged to continue their studies in interdisciplinary marine sciences. Coaches received science teaching resources and complimentary memberships in the Mid-Atlantic Marine Education Association.
The National Ocean Science Bowl is a program of the Consortium for Ocean Leadership in Washington, DC. NOSB seeks to interest students in ocean science as a college major and potential career. Through 25 regional competitions across the nation, NOSB provides an educational forum intended to generate student interest in the ocean sciences; improve awareness of our oceans, coasts and Great Lakes; and create an “ocean literate” society that can meet the ocean challenges of the future. During 2016, an expected 2,000 students from more than 300 high schools from around the country will participate in the event.
The Blue Crab Bowl wouldn’t be possible without the generous support of national, regional, and local sponsors. In 2016, sponsors included The Edward T. Bedford Foundation; VIMS; ODU’s Department of Ocean Earth & Atmospheric Sciences; the Mid-Atlantic Marine Education Association and National Marine Educators Association; Wells Fargo, and Hampton Inn-Norfolk Naval Base. For a list of the Consortium for Ocean Leadership’s national sponsors, visit the NOSB website at www.nosb.org/
Bishop Sullivan Catholic High School – Team A, Virginia Beach
Bishop Sullivan Catholic High School – Team B, Virginia Beach
Broadwater Academy – Team A, Exmore
Broadwater Academy – Team B, Exmore
Chesapeake Bay Governor’s School, Glenns Campus, Glenns
Chesapeake Bay Governor’s School, Warsaw Campus– Team A, Warsaw
Chesapeake Bay Governor’s School, Warsaw Campus– Team B, Warsaw
Churchland High School, Portsmouth
Culpeper County High School – Team A, Culpeper
Culpeper County High School – Team B, Culpeper
Fauquier High School, Warrenton
Governor’s School for Science & Technology – Team A, Hampton
Governor’s School for Science & Technology – Team B, Hampton
Isle of Wight Academy, Isle of Wight
Seton School – Team A, Manassas
Seton School – Team B, Manassas
National Ocean Sciences Bowl
View a full catalog of photos showing participants in the 2016 Blue Crab Bowl. More...
This video from the Consortium for Ocean Leadership explores the excitement of the National Ocean Sciences Bowl. More...