The National Ocean Sciences Bowl, coordinated by the Consortium for Ocean Leadership, is in many ways similar to the National Science Bowl but focuses specifically on ocean-related topics. Student teams compete nationwide, answering questions about biology, chemistry, geology and physics of the oceans, as well as navigation, geography and related history and literature.
JPL, in association with the University of Southern California, co-hosts the Los Angeles regional competition called Surf Bowl. This year's Regional Competition was held at the University of Southern California (USC) on March 3, 2012.
The final match at the 13th annual Los Angeles "Surf Bowl" was a case of déjà vu for the participants and the spectators who watched last year's finals. Santa Monica High School emerged victorious for the second year in a row, beating out longtime rival Arcadia High School in an intense final round of ocean sciences trivia. Third place went to North Hollywood. The Sportsmanship Award went to Francisco Bravo Medical Magnet School.
The Santa Monica High School team will now take an all-expense-paid trip to Baltimore, Md., to compete in the National Ocean Sciences Bowl, April 19 through April 22. About 2,000 students from more than 300 high schools nationwide participate in this academic competition. The theme for this year's competition is "A Sea of Change: Development and Evolution."
