FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
SEPTEMBER 1, 2005
Texas Sea Grant to coordinate NOSB regional meet
COLLEGE STATION, TX — The National Ocean Sciences Bowl (NOSB) regional competition at Texas A&M University is under new management — the Texas Sea Grant College Program is taking on coordination of the event beginning with preparation for the March 4, 2006, meet.
The Dolphin Challenge, which is open to high school teams from the northern half of Texas, is held in College Station, while students in the southern part of the state can compete in the Loggerhead Challenge, hosted by Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi. Earlier this year, the previous coordinating department for the Dolphin Challenge, TAMU’s Department of Oceanography, determined that it would be unable to coordinate the next competition.
“When we learned that the Department of Oceanography was having difficulty properly staffing the TAMU NOSB event for 2006, I thought the competition was so important that I volunteered Sea Grant to take it on,” said Texas Sea Grant Director Dr. Robert Stickney. “Texas Sea Grant has been a supporter and has participated in the event in various capacities for several years. I’ve moderated in four of the past five years myself and thoroughly enjoyed interacting with the very bright students who will doubtless become leading scientists in the future.”
Texas Sea Grant has hired TAMU graduate student Bianca Whitaker, who is pursuing a master’s degree in wildlife and fisheries sciences, to coordinate its NOSB efforts, including planning the event and contacting high school teachers to generate interest in the competition.
“With Bianca Whitaker’s enthusiasm and drive, I am confident that we will have another first-class event next March,” Stickney said. “I also intend to make a long-term commitment by Texas Sea Grant to NOSB.”
The NOSB is a college bowl-style competition that provides an opportunity for students to receive national recognition for excellence in math and science and stimulates their interest in marine science as a possible career. Teams of high school students compete by answering questions about the earth’s oceans from a wide range of disciplines, including physics, geology, biology and the social sciences. Winners of the regional competitions go on to the national meet, which will be held in Monterey, Calif., in May 2006.
“NOSB represents a wonderful learning experience for the high school students who participate,” Stickney noted. “It’s also an opportunity for them to visit Texas A&M and get a flavor for our campus.”
Up to 16 teams may participate in the Dolphin Challenge; the deadline to sign up for the 2006 competition is Nov. 1, 2005.
For more information on the Dolphin Challenge, contact Whitaker at whitakeb@tamug.edu 979-204-2741. Additional information about the NOSB is available on its Web site at www.nosb.org.
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The Texas Sea Grant College Program is a partnership of university,
government and industry, focusing on marine research, education
and advisory services. Visit our web site at http://texas-sea-grant.tamu.edu
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