National Ocean Sciences Bowl First Place Team Takes Awarded Trip
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(Click to enlarge image) Champions of the 12th Annual National Ocean Sciences Bowl Finals Competition, Marshfield High School
−Team from Local Wisconsin High School Travels to the Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute in Panama −
(Washington, D.C.) – The Consortium for Ocean Leadership’s National Ocean Sciences Bowl (NOSB®) is pleased to announce that the champions of the 12th Annual National Ocean Sciences Bowl Finals Competition, Marshfield High School, just returned from their award trip to the Republic of Panama.
The 2009 NOSB was held at the Smithsonian Natural History Museum’s Sant Ocean Hall in April. After testing their ocean knowledge at their regional bowl and at the two-day Finals Competition, Marshfield High School won, taking the grand prize, a trip to the Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute (STRI) in Panama. The seven-day trip was awarded to the team after they overcame 24 other talented high school teams in the final rounds of this academic science competition.
STRI is the bureau of the Smithsonian Institution based outside of the United States and is dedicated to the understanding of biological diversity. With the theme for the 2009 NOSB competition being biodiversity, STRI was an exiting host for the first place team.
During the trip, the team, Elisa Prebble, Seth Berger, Alex Jensen, Michael Josephson, with Coach Paul Herder, visited research stations and marine laboratories in Naos, Bocas Island and Galeta Point, as well as the Canopy Crane at Parque Natural Metrpolitano. They also explored the Punta Culebra Nautre Center, and Old Colonial City of the Panama Canal.
“The trip to Panama was an enriching experience for us all,” said Herder. “We explored the rich terrestrial and marine biodiversity of the region, and learned directly from the dedicated and passionate scientists of the Smithsonian about their research and their struggles to educate the public and protect Panama’s precious natural resources. It was an extraordinary opportunity to see firsthand many of the things we usually only read about in textbooks.”
The first place trip was made possible with the support of the National Oceanographic Partnership Program and the Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute. For more information about NOSB, visit www.nosb.org.
About Consortium for Ocean Leadership
Ocean Leadership is a Washington, D.C.-based nonprofit organization that represents 95 of the leading public and private ocean research education institutions, aquaria and industry with the mission to advance research, education and sound ocean policy. The organization also manages ocean research and education programs in areas of scientific ocean drilling, ocean observing, ocean exploration and ocean partnerships.
About National Ocean Sciences Bowl
The National Ocean Sciences Bowl (NOSB®) is a program of the Consortium for Ocean Leadership based in Washington, DC. NOSB seeks to interest students in the ocean sciences as a college major and potential career. 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. Approximately 2,000 students from over 300 high schools participated in 2009.
For more information or interviews, contact:
Kristin Mellon
202-787-1644
kmellon@oceanleadership.org
