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A COL Program

2019_NOSB_ProgramCovers.indd 1 3/29/19 2:20 PM

A MESSAGE FROM THE CONSORTIUM FOR OCEAN LEADERSHIP

Another year, another successful National Ocean Sciences Bowl (NOSB) Finals competition! This year’s theme, Observe the Ocean; Secure the Future, couldn’t have come at a better time. Ocean observations are fundamental to all ocean science and key to our ability to address current and emerging threats that affect each of us. Some of the great interdisciplinary challenges of our time, such as tracking and mitigating the effects of climate change and feeding our growing global population while protecting vulnerable marine species, rely on timely and accurate ocean observations.

Within the field of ocean observing, there are many opportunities for our future ocean leaders to guide the way. From advancing the designs and capabilities of ocean instrumentation to synthesizing and applying collected data to creating science-based policies, we have no doubt our NOSB students will be at the forefront of innovation and implementation.

We were delighted to host the 22nd annual national Finals competition this year in Consortium for Ocean Leadership’s hometown of Washington, D.C. Where students got to tour and participate in hands-on activities at the excellent ocean science research institutions, laboratories, museums, aquariums, nonprofits, and federal agencies in and around our nation’s capital on their field trips — some even met with congressional staffers to talk to them about the importance of ocean science education (read more on page 5). At the end of the competition, the team from Albany High School (California) proved their mastery over many ocean-related topics and took home their second national Finals title.

While we celebrated this year, we also mourned the passing of one of our most beloved NOSB advocates and dedicated regional coordinators, Dr. Ray Beiersdorfer. Dr. Ray was a professor of geologic and environmental sciences at Youngstown State University (YSU) for 25 years and a coordinator of the Penguin Bowl — in the landlocked states of Pennsylvania and Ohio — for 16 years. Dr. Ray will be remembered for many things, including his trademark personal fashion style — a mix of Hawaiian and tie-dye shirts, mismatched socks, and Converse sneakers — as well as being an advocate for the environment, climate, and social justice. In the NOSB family, he will be most remembered for his unwavering dedication to his YSU and NOSB students, his contagious humor, infectious enthusiasm for science, and excitement for teaching and learning. To say he will be missed is an understatement. We know Dr. Ray would be immensely proud of his Centerville High School team, who wore Hawaiian shirts in his honor, for placing fourth at Finals. That’s quite a tribute to his memory.

We also know Dr. Ray would want us to continue educating students across the country about the importance of our ocean and the life which inhabits it. Therefore, I hope you will join us as we look towards our 2020 regional and national Finals competitions and another year where thousands of individuals in the NOSB community work together towards the common goal of preparing our next generation of ocean leaders.

RADM Jonathan W. White, USN (ret.)President & CEO; Consortium for Ocean Leadership

Kristen YarincikVice President & Director, Research & Education; Consortium for Ocean Leadership Director; National Ocean Sciences Bowl

States Hosting 2019 Bowls

Host Site Location for 2019

States Participating in 2019 Regional Bowls

2019 ThemeObserve the Ocean; Secure the Future

Regional Results24 Regional competitions

365 Teams from 33 states 1,825 Students(equal number males and females)

1,526 Volunteers

Finals Competition Host:

Dates:April 11 - 14, 2019Venue:Keck Center of the National Academies

2019 YEAR IN REVIEW

$1,614,662 Total Support

22nd AnnualFinals Competition Results24 teams, 115 students, 91 volunteers

Top Teams1st: Albany High School (Albany, California)

2nd: Santa Monica High School (Santa Monica, California) 3rd: Ladue Horton Watkins High School (St. Louis, Missouri)

4th: Centerville High School (Centerville, Ohio)

5th: Marine Academy of Science and Technology (Highlands, New Jersey)

6th: Oregon Coast Aquarium (Newport, Oregon) 7th: Newport High School (Seattle, Washington) 8th: Science and Technology Magnet High School of Southeastern Connecticut (New London, Connecticut) Sportsmanship Award: Ketchikan High School (Ketchikan, Alaska) Science Expert Briefing: Albany High School (Albany, California)

$34,324 online & giving programs

$452,123 in-kind volunteer hours

$654,500 federal funding

$243,900 foundation funding

$160,000 individual funding

$65,000 corporate funding

$4,815 in-kind & donated items

The Consortium for Ocean Leadership (COL) was excited to serve as the host of the NOSB national Finals competition in Washington, D.C., from April 11-14, 2019. COL staff, including the NOSB national office, were pleased to have the opportunity to celebrate our students’ hard work and dedication in winning their regional competitions and making it to the championship event. Students benefited from an informative career mentoring event, local educational field trips, and presentations to enhance their scientific learning, such as the keynote address by Dr. Marcia McNutt, president of the National Academy of Sciences, during Friday night’s opening ceremony. Holding the event in D.C. was also important because it highlighted to participants the role of COL in the nationwide ocean science community, the importance of ocean science in our nation’s capital, and the ocean-related work being done by our federal sponsors. It also showcased why federal agency investment in ocean education remains critical to our future workforce and environmental sustainability.

The NOSB CELEBRATES its students’ success in Washington, D.C.

We also celebrated the Ketchikan High School team, from Ketchikan, Alaska, who were awarded the James D. Watkins 2019 Sportsmanship Award. The award is named after the late Admiral James D. Watkins, who founded the NOSB in 1998 and was a champion for ocean science and education in this country. It is given to the team that demonstrates more than just good behavior during Finals but that truly supports the members of their team, assists others during the competition, and shows respect for all those involved in making the NOSB a successful program. This was Ketchikan High School’s first time at Finals, and they were ecstatic over their win. What made the team’s award even more exciting was the fact that they were personally congratulated by Alaska’s senator, Lisa Murkowski, on the accomplishment. Prior to the event, the team met with Senator Murkowski in her D.C. office. Upon hearing they were named the sportsmanship winners, she wrote on social media, “I’m proud of this group not only for going above and beyond academically--- but also for being a great example of how to treat others.” The Finals volunteers, who determine which team is awarded the prize, couldn’t have agreed more!

At the end of the four-day event, the 2019 Finals participants celebrated the championship team from Albany High School in Albany, California. This was Albany High School’s fifth time at the national Finals competition and their second championship title (they also came in first in 2016). Team members included Nathan Skinner, Evan Zhong, Maria Fedyk, Ruby Tang, and James Hort. They were coached by Andy Marsh.

The NOSB EDUCATEStomorrow’s ocean leaders

For the past 10 years, the NOSB has used an annual theme to focus students’ attention on topics that are timely and important to scientific knowledge and advancement, and to our society as a whole. The 2019 theme, Observe the Ocean; Secure the Future, focused on our nation’s need for information on ocean patterns, conditions, and processes to increase our understanding of ecosystem health; climate change; maritime safety; and food, water, and energy security. Therefore, students were tested on their knowledge of the technology needed for long-term, sustained ocean observations, how and why scientists gather ocean data, the challenges of processing such huge data sets, and how ocean observations address societal needs.

On occasion, the NOSB hosts “Ask an Expert” webinars for competing students, assisting them with topics covered in competition questions, and providing career mentoring. In March, experts from the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE)

and National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) provided an opportunity for students to ask questions about marine renewable energy as they completed their last-minute preparations and study sessions prior to the 2019 Finals competition. DOE and NREL staff also shared brief overviews of their individual career pathways and provided information on the numerous career options in the marine renewable energy field.

The NOSB summer award trips remain an important and impactful trademark of the program. They supplement traditional classroom learning and provide scientific, cultural, and personal growth experiences related to ocean and environmental science while rewarding the hard work and perseverance of the top-placing Finals teams. The 2019 first-place team from Albany High School visited some of northern California’s top-notch ocean science and technology organizations. At the Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute (MBARI), the team saw cutting edge ocean technologies and learned how the MBARI team is innovating the way gliders, buoys, and other autonomous systems observe critical ocean conditions. At the California State University Maritime Academy, they put their teamwork to the test in Cal Maritime’s Simulation Training Facility. They worked together to help their “ship” weather a virtual storm, employing communication and critical thinking skills, no doubt honed through their NOSB participation, to pull through the simulation.

The Ladue Horton Watkins High School team visited southern Virginia, starting at the Virginia Aquarium & Marine Science Center, where they got a behind-the-scenes tour and observed many bottlenose dolphins aboard the Atlantic Explorer. The team then got a hands-on lesson in ocean mapping tools and research with the NOAA Marine Operations Center-Atlantic before heading up to the Virginia Institute of Marine Science (VIMS) Eastern Shore Laboratory to explore barrier island ecosystems and to learn about island migration. At VIMS’s Gloucester Point campus, they saw one of the largest collections of freshwater, Chesapeake Bay, and coastal fishes in Virginia and took part in recreational fish tagging. They visited the Navy’s Fleet Weather Center at the world’s largest Navy base in Norfolk, where they also toured the aircraft carrier USS Dwight D. Eisenhower (CVN-69) and met Carrier Airborne Early Warning Squadron 124 (VAW-124), the “Bear Aces.”

The team from the Arkansas School for Mathematics, Sciences, and the Arts (Hot Springs, Arkansas) met with Congressman Bruce Westerman and received a tour of the U.S. Capitol. The team from the Science and Technology Magnet High School of Southeastern Connecticut (New London, Connecticut) also toured the Capitol, thanks to Senators Chris Murphy and Richard Blumenthal. The Canyon Crest Academy (San Diego, California) team met with Congressman Scott Peters’ staff (Congressman Peters was not available), saw the congressman’s office and received tickets to the House Gallery to watch the day’s Floor proceedings. The team’s coach noted that Congressman Peters has been a great supporter of the students, meeting with them in the past and kindly answering their questions on the Strengthening The Resiliency of Our Nation on the Ground Act (STRONG) Act, a bill Congressman Peters introduced to help increase community and economic resilience to the impacts of extreme weather events.

The NOSB IMPACTSits participants professionally and personally

Holding the 2019 national Finals competition in Washington, D.C., meant that some teams were able to celebrate their advancement to Finals by meeting with their federal legislators and/or receiving tours of the U.S. Capitol. This opportunity to meet with members of Congress and their staff gave students a chance to share the importance of ocean science education and the NOSB program, and it also impacted the students personally, helping them better understand the American democratic process and learn about other science-based career opportunities.

Team from the Arkansas School for Mathematics, Sciences, and the Arts

Team from the Canyon Crest Academy

The NOSB IMPACTSits participants professionally and personally

Three years ago, we began engaging our program alumni, asking them to share their current whereabouts, their jobs, anecdotes from their NOSB participation, and the NOSB’s impact on their personal and professional development. Their stories prove the NOSB is not just an academic competition but an opportunity to set students on the path to achieve their career goals. It provides a unique setting for participants to interact directly with scientists and professionals, creating extremely important and influential connections that broaden students’ awareness of environmental issues as well as the diverse array of possible careers that require or utilize ocean and environmental science knowledge.

But don’t take our word for it …here’s what recently profiled alumni have to say about the NOSB:

[My] success story all started because of that teacher, Mr. Matthews, and the NOSB competition in New York.

The NOSB launched me on a career trajectory that most recently has made me an assistant professor of chemical oceanography. Without it, I don’t know if I’d be an ocean scientist.

– Robert Letscher, University of New Hampshire, Bay Scallop Bowl Alum 2002-2003

[The] NOSB was definitely a big contributor in inspiring me to continue into the field of marine biology and exposed me to marine

molecular ecology, which is what I am now studying as a Ph.D. student.– Zack Gold, University of California, Los Angeles,

Los Angeles Surf Bowl Alum 2007-2010

(continued)

[The] NOSB exposed me to a wide array of marine sciences, providing strong foundational knowledge for college and

graduate school, and [the] NOSB also expanded my horizons and inspired me to dream big. The memories I have of studying and competing with my classmates will last a lifetime, and I am the

scientist and advocate I am today due in large part to [the] NOSB.– Kerri Allen, North Carolina Coastal Federation,

Blue Heron Bowl Alum 2006-2007

If you want to catch up with the 75 alumni who have been in touch with us, check out our spotlights at http://nosb.org/impact/alumni-spotlight/.If you are an alum, or know one, be sure to contact us at nosb@oceanleadership.org.We’d love to hear from you!

The NOSB MOTIVATESstudents to pursue hobbies and careers in ocean scienceMany NOSB students, after learning so much about the ocean through their preparation for and participation in the NOSB regional and Finals competitions, want to make an impact at local, regional, and even national levels, looking to conserve and protect marine life and their watery environments.

Some students focus on their local communities, such as Joseph Kaden, a member of Friday Harbor High School’s NOSB team. Joseph, from Friday Harbor, Washington,

competed at the Orca Bowl for four years and has been active in his local community for even longer. He conducted surveys of the life found on the docks of the Port of Friday Harbor as a Health Observatory coordinator with Kwiáht, a nonprofit conservation biology laboratory in the San Juan Islands. He also encouraged local boaters to slow their speed in an attempt to lessen the impacts of underwater noise pollution on marine life. We wish Joseph the best as he pursues a major in oceanography with a marine biology minor at the University of Washington.

Some students aim for change at the national scale. Isha Sangani, who competed at the Orca Bowl with her Newport

High School team, started a petition in January on Change.org entitled “Dear Panda Express: We Don’t Want Your Single Use Plastic.” Sangani, who has volunteered as a youth ocean advocate at the Seattle Aquarium since she was in ninth grade, loves the ocean and is concerned by the plastic waste threatening the environment and the life it supports. Her petition declares that plastic “threatens our critically endangered southern resident killer whales, and it threatens me and other youth who will inherit this region.” We wish Isha the best of luck in her quest to bring attention to the ocean plastics issue and as she begins her college career this fall, majoring in marine science at either the University of Washington or Duke University.

During the 2019 Finals competition in Washington, D.C., eight students and eight adults (coaches and regional coordinators) participated in a policy-focused field trip co-organized with ThinkOcean. Ben May, an NOSB alum, founded ThinkOcean, an organization created for and maintained by youth with the goal to increase college and high school awareness of environmental issues and to engage members in solving these challenges. The field trip started with a workshop and prepared the participants for what to expect when meeting with members of Congress and their staff. Following the

workshop, which highlighted best practices in advocacy and engagement, participants visited Capitol Hill for meetings with House and Senate committee and personal staff, where they learned more about the legislative process, the role of individual committees, and the backgrounds of the staffers.

Photo by Beck

y Cha

n

THANK YOU!The 2019 NOSB competition year was only possible due to our federal, foundation, and corporate sponsors; regional hosts and coordinators; individual supporters; volunteers; colleagues; and friends. The support from every member of our ever-growing NOSB community remains instrumental to the program’s longevity. We greatly appreciate the dedication of our 2019 sponsors, regional and Finals competition hosts, and award trip hosts to advancing ocean science education. Due to your support, NOSB students have direct access to research, researchers, university programs, and new ocean technology. These early interactions with professionals in careers to which they aspire, as well as the introductions to field and laboratory work, are critical to their personal and career development.

We are thankful for the more than 90 generous individuals who supported the NOSB program during the 2019 competition year. These donations enabled the NOSB to continue offering students a unique way to learn about the environment and ocean sciences, helping them gain a deeper understanding of these important disciplines than may be achieved in the traditional classroom setting.

A tremendous thank you goes to every regional and Finals volunteer for their time, energy, and enthusiasm during the 2019 competitions. You play a most important role in helping us train tomorrow’s ocean leaders and informed, ocean-literate citizens and are integral to our success and continued impact.

Lastly, a special thank you to the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine for opening the Keck Center to the NOSB for the 2019 national Finals competition career mentoring event and competition rounds. The building, with its engraved murals that celebrate the leading scientific contributions to society, served as the perfect inspiration to the competing students.

The NOSB would also like to thank the Advisory Council who shares the responsibility, with the Consortium for Ocean Leadership, for the strategic direction and long-term sustainability of the NOSB program.Chair: RADM Dick West (U.S. Navy, Retired), former

President/CEO of the Consortium for Oceanographic Research and Education

Hon. Brian Baird, former U.S. Congressman (D-WA)Ms. Elizabeth Creed, Principal Systems Engineer at Kongsberg

Underwater TechnologyDr. Rosanne W. Fortner, Professor Emeritus, The Ohio State

UniversityMr. Matthew Mulrennan, Director, Ocean Initiative, XPRIZEDr. Nancy Knowlton, Sant Chair for Marine Science,

Smithsonian National Museum of Natural HistoryVADM Conrad Lautenbacher (U.S. Navy, Retired), CEO,

GeoOptics, and former Administrator of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

Dr. Ellen Prager, Marine Scientist and Author, Earth to OceanDr. Rick Spinrad, Vice President for Research, Oregon State

University, and former Chief Scientist of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

Dr. Ralph Rayner, Sector Director of Energy, BMT Group Limited, and Professorial Research Fellow, London School of Economics and Political Science

REGIONAL HOSTSAlaska Sealife CenterCalifornia State University, Monterey BayConnecticut Sea GrantFlorida Atlantic University, Harbor Branch Oceanographic

InstituteGeorge Mason UniversityJet Propulsion LaboratoryMassachusetts Institute of Technology Sea Grant College

ProgramMichigan Sea GrantOld Dominion UniversityOregon State University, College of Earth, Ocean, and

Atmospheric SciencesPittsburgh Zoo & PPG AquariumRutgers, The State University of New Jersey, Institute of Marine

and Coastal SciencesSavannah State UniversityStony Brook University, School of Marine and Atmospheric

SciencesTexas A&M University at GalvestonUniversity of Alaska — FairbanksUniversity of Colorado, Cooperative Institute for Research in

Environmental SciencesUniversity of Hawai’i Sea Grant College ProgramUniversity of Michigan, School or Natural Resources and

EnvironmentUniversity of New EnglandUniversity of North Carolina, WilmingtonUniversity of San DiegoUniversity of South Florida, School of Marine SciencesUniversity of Southern Mississippi, Gulf Coast Research

LaboratoryUniversity of WashingtonUniversity of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, School of Freshwater

ScienceVirginia Institute of Marine Science at the College of William

and MaryWashington Sea GrantYoungstown State University

THANK YOU!

I’ve coached many of my students for three years and I’ve seen them gain confidence, friends, and more throughout this competition. Sophomores that couldn’t speak in front of a crowd are now eloquent and competent public speakers. Students that doubted

their own knowledge are now the first to the buzzer. This competition is an incredible opportunity for young students, no matter their career interests. I only wish every student had a chance to participate in NOSB.

– Coach, Tsunami Bowl

AWARD TRIPSCalifornia State University Maritime AcademyCalifornia State University, Monterey BayCherrystone Aqua-FarmsElkhorn Slough National Estuarine Research ReserveMonterey Bay AquariumMonterey Bay Aquarium Research InstituteMoss Landing Marine LaboratoriesNational Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration Marine Operations

CenterNational Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration Southwest Fisheries

Science CenterStanford University Hopkins Marine StationUniversity of California, Santa Cruz Joseph M. Long Marine LaboratoryU.S. Navy Fleet Weather CenterVirginia Aquarium and Marine Science CenterVirginia Institute of Marine Science at the College of William and Mary

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The NOSB, a nationwide high school ocean sciences competition, has created opportunities for high school students across the United States to learn about ocean science and the wealth of career paths in ocean science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) that will support and grow our nation’s blue economy while sustaining our ocean resources. Through participation in the NOSB, students experience hands-on research and conservation projects; meet like-minded peers and potential mentors; and gain leadership, critical thinking, teamwork, and communications skills to assist them in high school, college, and their future careers. Over the past 22 years, the NOSB has engaged more than 36,000 students. In 2019 alone, 24 regional competitions welcomed 1,825 students from 365 teams in 33 states.

HOW TO STAY IN TOUCH:

Website – http://nosb.org/

Email – nosb@oceanleadership.org

Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/nosb.org

Twitter – (@NOSBRocks) https://twitter.com/NOSBRocks

Instagram – (NOSBRocks) https://instagram.com/NOSBRocks/

Tumblr – (NOSBRocks) http://nosbrocks.tumblr.com/

Listserv – http://bit.ly/NOSBNews

HOW TO HELP THROUGHOUT THE YEAR:

Donate – https://www.mightycause.com/story/NOSBeoy2019 https://bit.ly/NOSBAmazon

Volunteer – http://nosb.org/community/volunteers/

The NOSB is a program of the Consortium for Ocean Leadership