Huron High School Wins Great Lakes Bowl

ANN ARBOR, MI) – On Saturday, February 1, students from Huron High School from Ann Arbor, Michigan won the Great Lakes Bowl, a regional ocean science academic competition that is part of the National Ocean Sciences Bowl (NOSB). The Great Lakes Bowl, which was held at the University of Michigan School for Environment and Sustainability and co-hosted by Michigan Sea Grant, is part of a nationwide competition that tests students’ knowledge of ocean science disciplines through buzzer-style, multiple-choice questions and open-ended team challenge questions. The Huron High School team will join winners from 22 other regional bowls April 16-19 in Long Beach, Mississippi, for the NOSB Finals. Students on the championship team include Avani Guduri, James Xiu, Matthew Riddell, Anirudh Cowlagi, and Eleanor Lin (team photo below). They are coached by Henry Kuang.

The NOSB, a program of the Consortium for Ocean Leadership, is building our next generation of marine scientists, policy makers, teachers, explorers, researchers, technicians, environmental advocates, and informed citizens by educating them in timely and relevant ocean science topics that are already a part of our future. This year’s competition theme, Understanding Human, Economic, and Environmental Resiliency in the Gulf of Mexico, let students explore the many fascinating and complex functions of the Gulf of Mexico, America’s “living laboratory,” while also connecting scientific processes to the many people who call the Gulf their home. From its role in regulating global ocean temperature to its importance as a home to a diverse array of flora and fauna, the Gulf provides researchers with the opportunity to study the intersections of oceanography, biology, geology, chemistry, and the social sciences across both large- and small-scales.

This year’s theme is especially relevant as 2020 marks the 10-year anniversary of the Deepwater Horizon oil spill — considered to be the largest marine oil spill ever — and comes as we reach a critical turning point in Gulf research: Ten years on, scientists who have been studying the environmental and social impacts of the spill are now synthesizing what they’ve learned about response, restoration, recovery, and resiliency, and how they can apply that knowledge to other events.

“Economically, ecologically, and culturally, the Gulf of Mexico is a valuable resource where you can really see how closely linked science and society are, so we’re thrilled that NOSB students got the chance to focus on it this year,” said Kristen Yarincik, director of the NOSB at the Consortium for Ocean Leadership. “Giving students the opportunity to learn about some of the groundbreaking research going on in the Gulf as well as the social implications of that work is key to the mission of NOSB — We want to help students become thoughtful, ocean-literate citizens who understand the broader value of scientific research, even if they don’t become scientists. Congratulations to all the brilliant students who competed this year, and we can’t wait to see all of our regional winners in Mississippi.”

The 2020 National NOSB program is made possible through the following major sponsors:

• National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
• National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine Gulf Research Program
• Wendy & Eric Schmidt
• Deerbrook Charitable Trust
• National Aeronautics and Space Administration
• Shell Exploration & Production Company
• Lockheed Martin
• American Honda Foundation
• Sharon and Wayne Sternberger
• Bureau of Ocean Energy Management
• Department of Energy National Renewable Energy Laboratory
• IEEE Oceanic Engineering Society
• MacGregor Norway AS
• Marine Technology Society

A complete list of sponsors can be found here: http://nosb.org/about-nosb/sponsors/. For more information about NOSB, visit www.nosb.org.

(Left to right) Avani Guduri, James Xiu, Matthew Riddell, Anirudh Cowlagi, Eleanor Lin, Henry Kuang (coach)

About National Ocean Sciences Bowl

The National Ocean Sciences Bowl (NOSB) is a program of the Consortium for Ocean Leadership based in Washington, D.C. Now in its 23rd year, the NOSB seeks to interest students in pursuing a college degree and a future career in the ocean sciences. 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 to consider and appreciate the ocean. Most high school students do not have the opportunity to study ocean science as part of their formal coursework, which makes the NOSB one of the only ways students gain exposure to this field. Many past NOSB participants have moved on to pursue college degrees and careers in ocean science, helping to solve the growing environmental, economic and security issues facing our ocean and planet.

About Consortium for Ocean Leadership

The Consortium for Ocean Leadership (COL) is a Washington, D.C. nonprofit organization that represents the leading public and private ocean research education institutions, aquaria, and industry with the mission to shape the future of ocean science and technology. In addition to its advocacy role as the voice of the ocean research and technology community, COL manages a variety of community-wide research and education programs in areas of ocean observing, ocean exploration, and ocean partnerships.

Courtesy: Consortium for Ocean Leadership