In 2008, continuing its long history of support for the National Ocean Sciences Bowl (NOSB), a team competition which challenges students' knowledge of the ocean, the Gulf of Mexico Foundation furnished $2,500 for the 2008 Loggerhead Challenge, one of Texas’ two regional NOSB competitions, held in Corpus Christi on Feb 23, 2008.

The previous day, on Feb 22, the Foundation participated in the NOSB Information Fair where local organizations set up display boards, banners and posters to show the NOSB students their unique programs and activities. GMF Project Coordinator Ryan Fikes explained to NOSB participants the Foundation’s role in conserving the Gulf of Mexico and discussed possible career options.

Fourteen high school teams participated in the all-day regional competition held at Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi. The winning team, Star Charter School from Austin, moved on to the national competition held in April in Alaska, where they faced other regional winners from across the country.

For more information, on the Loggerhead Challenge, contact Leslie Smith (361) 825-3220, Leslie.Smith@tamucc.edu.

Students from Star Charter School (Austin, Texas) won the 2008 Loggerhead
Challenge regional qualifying event for the National Ocean Sciences Bowl held
in Corpus Christi, which the GMF has supported annually since 1998.

NOSB Background

The National Ocean Sciences Bowl is a national competition sponsored by the Consortium for Oceanographic Research and Education based in Washington DC. The program seeks to interest students in the ocean sciences as a college major and potential career. NOSB strives to generate student interest in the ocean sciences, to improve awareness of the ocean, coast and Great Lakes, and to create an “ocean literate” society. Inaugurated in 1998, the NOSB provides an educational forum for students to excel in math and science and to receive national recognition for their diligence and talents.

The event is a tournament-style academic competition designed to challenge and recognize high school student knowledge of math and science in the context of the oceans. The round-robin, double-elimination competition consisted of toss-up and short-answer team challenge questions within the scientific and technical disciplines used to study the oceans.

Winning teams from each of the regional competitions held across the nation each year advance to the National Ocean Sciences Bowl. All winning teams are offered transportation and room and board for the final competition.