Ocean Sciences Bowl
Coordinated by the Consortium for Ocean Leadership, the National Ocean Sciences Bowl is designed to address a national gap in environmental and earth sciences in public education by introducing high school students to and engaging them in ocean science, preparing them for ocean science-related and other STEM careers, and helping them become knowledgeable citizens and environmental stewards.
On Saturday, March 6, seven teams representing seven high schools vied virtually for first place at the National Ocean Sciences Bowl Los Angeles regional competition. Hosted by NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory for the past 22 years, the contest (also known as the Surf Bowl) tests knowledge in the biology, chemistry, geology and physics of the oceans, as well as navigation, geography, and related history and literature.
Santa Monica High School took first, marking the school’s sixth straight win in the regional competition. Irvine’s University High School came in second – one step up from their third place showing in 2020 – and Francisco Bravo Medical Magnet rounded out the top three.
Santa Monica High School and the winners of the other 20 regional contests will duke it out virtually May 7 through 17 in the National Ocean Sciences Bowl finals.
Science Spotlight
Thaddaeus Voss – National Ocean Sciences Bowl, 2008, 2009, 2010 Centerville High School
Current Position:
Signal Analysis Engineer at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory
He received his BS in Electrical Engineering from the University of Cincinnati and MS in Electrical Engineering from the University of Southern California with a focus in Signal Processing. At JPL he is a Signal Analysis Engineer in the Flight Communications Systems section, which engineers cost-effective spaceborne communications systems, services, instruments, antennas and space radios for NASA/JPL and non-NASA missions. In this role, he provides telecommunications systems engineering support for all project lifecycle phases -- including early mission concepts, proposals, and flight projects -- ensuring that these spacecraft will be able to successfully send back to Earth the valuable science data they collect. Most recently he has supported the NISAR and Psyche missions.