National Ocean Sciences Bowl Team Victorious in DC

Congratulations to the AHS National Ocean Sciences Bowl team for bringing home our second(!) national title.

Evan Zhong, Nathan Skinner, Ruby Tang, James Hort, and Maria-Sophia Fedyk returned home late Sunday night from Washington DC... victorious... as National champs! Thanks also to their coach, and AHS alum, Andy Marsh.

To qualify for Finals, our team had to first win their regional competitions. In total, more than 365 teams (made up of approximately 1,825 students representing 33 states) participated. At the National Finals, 24 teams went round after round in a double-elimination tournament.

The NOSB tests students' knowledge of ocean science topics, including cross-disciplines of biology, chemistry, policy, physics, and geology. Buzzer-style multiple choice and longer, critical thinking-based questions covered cross-disciplinary ocean science knowledge as well as topics relevant to the theme, Observe the Ocean, Secure the Future. These questions tested students on their knowledge of the technology needed to observe the ocean, how and why scientists gather ocean data, the challenges of processing such huge data sets, and how ocean observations address societal needs.

Teams also presented science recommendations on a piece of legislation in the Science Expert Briefing (SEB), a mock congressional hearing that enhances the critical thinking elements of the competition and focuses on real-world skills. Our team got first place in that too!

For their first-place win, the AHS NOSB team was awarded a special behind-the-scenes trip to Monterey Bay this summer, where they will visit many of the nearby oceanographic institutions and learn about local scientific and conservation efforts. And they got a big trophy.