National Ocean Sciences Bowl 2017

“[The] NOSB's mission to raise awareness of the fragility of oceans and their current state of degradation, especially with our youth, is critical to reversing this trend as well as motivating the students to go into fields that have the potential to find solutions.”  – Jennifer Dickey, mother of an alum, Salmon Bowl, ID

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In 2017, the NOSB program marked its 20th anniversary! Yes, for two decades we’ve been connecting students to our ocean and fostering their development as our future ocean leaders and ocean-literate citizens.  But, as we approach 2018, our celebrations are tempered by two pieces of upsetting news regarding the upcoming competition year, one of which made our 2018 theme – Our Ocean Shaping Weather – all too relevant.  

Due to the severity of Hurricane Harvey and the level of damaged sustained by our Texas host institutions, neither the Dolphin Challenge nor the Loggerhead Challenge will be held this upcoming February.  Areas of Texas received as much as 52 inches of rain during the hurricane, meaning our host universities are looking at months of recovery efforts. We have been looking for options that would allow at least some of the Dolphin and Loggerhead Challenges teams to compete and to continue their ocean science learning.  

We are extremely thankful that the Trout Bowl in Boulder, Colorado is accepting Texas teams at their competition. Such an act shows true dedication to the program’s goals, and more importantly, its students. However, the second bit of recent news, the loss of a major federal sponsor for 2018, means we currently do not have the ability to financially support the Texas teams in their long-distance (greater than 12 hours by car) travels to Colorado. 

We are still stabilizing from a similar period of uncertainty in 2014, when our federal sponsorship was reduced by 60 percent. We have been able to maintain our mission and programmatic activities because of many new sponsors and the addition of crowdsourcing campaigns—supporters like you! We continue to rely on this broad base of community support as we navigate these challenging times.

Something we heard over and over again during our 20th anniversary celebration was how the program has created a supportive community of members all across the country.  It’s times like these when we call on this NOSB community to come together to help us find a way forward. Can we count on you this year to help us raise $10,000?  Your donation will provide assistance to the Texas students traveling hundreds of miles to participate in the program they love and gives them unique opportunities for educational, skill-based, and personal growth. It also provides essential core support that allows us to leverage additional sponsorships and buys us the time we need to raise the remaining funds for the 2018 program. Together we can ensure the 2018 competition year is a success as coaches, regional coordinators, and volunteers across the country help train tomorrow’s ocean leaders. 

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The National Ocean Sciences Bowl® (NOSB) is an annual academic competition that introduces high school students to ocean science and other STEM-related subjects and careers. The NOSB provides youth with an increased awareness and understanding of our ocean and the important role it plays in climate and weather, human health, food security, and our economy.