One of NOSB’s sponsors, the Khaled bin Sultan Living Oceans Foundation, is sponsoring graduate fellowships for doctoral students and post-doctoral researchers whose research focuses on activities that contribute to a better understanding of the health and resilience of coral reefs in countries surveyed throughout the Global Reef Expedition (2011-2016). The Living Oceans Foundation Fellowship will provide up to a $35,000 annual gift to cover legitimate educational and research expenses such as tuition and research field-work expenses. The fellowship recipient will be known as the “Khaled bin Sultan Living Oceans Foundation Research Fellow.” Fellows may receive up to four continuous years of financial support based upon annual competitive reapplication.

Candidates must have demonstrated oral and written communication skills, be fluent in English and have the knowledge and expertise needed to develop a thesis or dissertation topic related to the mission of the Foundation and its role in marine conservation. Ph.D. candidates must also meet the requirements of graduate programs at accredited universities.

For more details, go to www.livingoceansfoundation.org.

Six Weeks Collaborative Summer Program
(July 1 to August 10, 2012)

The program is designed to  recruit and train high school students, particularly  from underrepresented groups in various areas of  Geosciences.
Nature of the program:  Program participants will stay in dormitories on the campus of UMES in Princess Anne, Maryland for the duration of the six week program.  Students will receive lectures and take part in hands-on activities in various areas of geoscience (marine geology, physical oceanography and atmospheric science, marine biology, marine chemistry/biogeochemistry, and remote sensing/GIS). Students will also enroll in College Algebra or Calculus I course, as well as in a Freshman Seminar course. They will also take part in field trips.

Who is eligible?  High school seniors who are interested in pursuing a college degree in fall 2012, in one of the geoscience disciplines:  environmental science, marine science, meteorology/atmospheric science, civil, fisheries science, environmental or electrical engineering, geography, GIS/ remote sensing.  Students must have a current minimum cumulative GPA of 2.7 on a 4.0 point scale.

Is there any out of pocket expense for participants?  No!  In fact, participants will be paid $500.00 per week for the six weeks.  Travel, meals and lodging will also be covered.  

How do I sign up?  To apply for this year’s program, and for additional information, you may  contact Dr. Paulinus Chigbu at 410-621-3034, pchigbu@umes.edu; Dr. Reza Khanbilvardi at 212-650-8009, khanbilvardi@ccny.cuny.edu; Dr. Vernon Morris at 202-865-8536, vmorris@howard.edu or Dr. Michael Abazinge at 850-599-3521,  michael.abazinge@famu.edu.

The Marine Aquarium Societies of North America (MASNA) is proud to present the 2012 – 2013 MASNA Student Scholarships.

The application for the 2012 – 2013 $2,500 MASNA Student Scholarships is now available for download.

This year there are two scholarships available; one for college undergraduate students and one for college graduate students. The $2,500 MASNA Undergraduate Student Scholarship is sponsored by EcoTech Marine and the $2,500 MASNA Graduate Student Scholarship is sponsored by Doctors Foster & Smith LiveAquaria.com.

To be eligible for a $2,500 MASNA Student Scholarship, an applicant must be a current/entering undergraduate or graduate student at an accredited college or university.

The student must have declared a major/focus or have intent to declare a major/focus in one of the marine science disciplines.

Selection will be based upon the student’s academic history and the student’s contributions and demonstrated commitment to the marine aquarium hobby.

North American students, no matter where they are studying in the world, as well as students from abroad, who are studying in North America, are eligible, as long as they attend/plan to attend an accredited college or university.

The deadline for submission is June 22, 2012.

The 2012 – 2013 MASNA Scholarships are made possible by our generous sponsors Doctors Foster & Smith LiveAquaria.com and EcoTech Marine.

Additional information and the application form can be found here:
http://www.MASNA.org/AboutMASNA/MASNAScholarship.aspx

Additional information about MASNA can be found here:
http://www.MASNA.org/AboutMASNA.aspx

Listen to the November 2011 MASNA Live interview with the 2011 – 2012 MASNA Student Scholarship winner, UH Manoa Ph.D. candidate, Chris Jury, by clicking here: http://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/masna-live/id354404085

Lexington High School team took 4th place, overall, at the 2012 NOSB Finals and received the highest score for the Scientific Expert Briefing component.

(From MIT Sea Grant) - MIT Sea Grant is pleased to announce that the winning team from the Blue Lobster Bowl took 4th place in the 15th annual National Ocean Sciences Bowl Finals, held April 19-22, 2012 in Baltimore, Maryland. The team from Lexington High School, in Lexington, MA, also received a special recognition of excellence for achieving the highest score in the Scientific Expert Briefing component of the finals competition. This component requires students to take on the roles of various scientific and legislative stakeholders and present scientific testimony to a panel of judges.

This is the team’s second trip to nationals in two years under the guidance of team coach and Lexington High teacher Dr. Sarah Damassa. In addition to participating in the two-day competition, the team had a chance to tour the National Aquarium at Baltimore, meet a wide variety of ocean science professionals during a “speed-career” search, take part in field trips that included opportunities to investigate marine debris pollution in the Chesapeake Bay, and perform hands-on experiments at the University of Maryland’s Center of Marine Biotechnology.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=MoQrUeduOfM

It highlights the National Ocean Sciences Bowl’s impact on increasing ocean literacy and encouraging students to pursue STEM careers.

Photo from http://www.oceanriver.org/

The Stellwagen Bank National Marine Sanctuary is inaugurating a high school student youth member and alternative youth member (ages 14-17) to represent the youth segment of the community on the Sanctuary Advisory Council.  High school youth SAC member may be appointed for a term of two years that begins summer 2012. The Sanctuary Advisory Council advises management on topics such as resource protection, research, education and outreach programs.

The Council is currently addressing issues including:

•           Implementing the General Management Plan
•           Ocean ecosystem research and citizen science
•           Protecting areas of cultural and biological importance
•           Planning for proposed activities within sanctuary waters
•           Engaging communities in outreach, education, and stewardship of  Stellwagen Bank National Marine Sanctuary

Find Out More at http://www.oceanriver.org/stellwagen_alive.php.

Download an Application Online at: http://stellwagen.noaa.gov.

2012 NOSB Finals – Award Ceremony Video Slideshow
Length: 16 min.
Credit: Will Ramos / Ocean Leadership

Turn up your speakers and enjoy! ;)

This video is also available for download in full 1080p HD format by clicking here. Right-click on the link and choose “Save Link As….” option in the pop-up menu to save to your computer.  (Format: MPEG HD / 1.1GB)

Hi-res photos from the entire event will be available on our Flickr channel soon.  Stay tuned!

(Washington, D.C.) – Returning champions Marshfield High School from Marshfield, Wisconsin won the 15th Annual National Ocean Sciences Bowl® (NOSB) Final, held April 19 – 22, 2012 at the Sheraton City Center Hotel in Baltimore, Maryland.  Twenty-five high schools from around the United States competed in this year’s NOSB Finals Competition.  The NOSB is an ocean science education program of the Consortium for Ocean Leadership based in Washington, D.C.

After competing in their respective regional competitions in February and March, these 25 high school teams traveled to Baltimore for the opportunity to compete with their peers on their knowledge of the ocean during the 2012 NOSB Finals Competition.  Approximately 2,000 students from over 300 high schools participated in NOSB in 2012.

(Click to enlarge) Returning champions Marshfield High School (Photo by Will Ramos / Ocean Leadership)

At both the regional and national level, the competition consists of buzzer-style, multiple choice questions and longer, critical thinking-based team challenge questions on ocean-related topics.  During the weekend’s Finals Competition, the students also participated in the Scientific Expert Briefing (SEB) component, where they recreated a congressional testimony.  The SEB was piloted in 2011 to provide students with a broader understanding of the interconnections between science, policy and the public.  This year, the topic was offshore renewable energy.

Along with the competition, the students participated in a day of interactive field trips around the city of Baltimore, an engaging speed-career search event and heard a creative and motivational presentation from Keynote Speaker Jim Toomey, author of the syndicated comic strip “Sherman’s Lagoon.”  The students also participated in Aquabotz, where they were able to design, build and launch their own individual remotely operated vehicles (ROVs).  

The theme for this year’s Finals Competition was “A Sea of Change:  Development and Evolution.”  The theme encompassed both biological evolution and the adaptions of humans to the changing oceans, highlighting the fact that the competition participants are stewards of the ocean, who should research, explore and discover the ever-changing sea.

The top eight teams at the Finals Competition were:

• 1st Place – Marshfield High School – Marshfield, Wisconsin
• 2nd Place – Raleigh Charter High School – Raleigh, North Carolina
• 3rd Place – Eastside High School – Gainesville, Florida
• 4th Place – Lexington High School – Lexington, Massachusetts
• 5th Place – Santa Monica High School – Santa Monica, California
• 6th Place – Maui High School – Kahului, Hawaii
• 7th Place – Albany High School – Albany, California
• 8th Place – Loveland High School – Loveland, Colorado

Other winners were also named at the annual Finals Competition, including the James D. Watkins Sportsmanship Award winner.  Ledyard High School of Ledyard, Connecticut won the Sportsmanship Award, which is voted upon by the volunteers for demonstrating the best sportsmanship throughout the weekend-long competition.  

“I am consistently amazed at the participants in the annual NOSB Finals Competition as their knowledge of ocean science is outstanding,” said Robert B. Gagosian, President & CEO of the Consortium for Ocean Leadership.  “These scholars are the future stewards of our ocean, and I know this experience encourages them to continue to learn how the ocean works and how to wisely use our ocean resources for generations to come.”  

The top four teams had their choice of prizes, including HP Mini 210 series Netbooks and all-expense paid trips to Hawaii, Mississippi and North Carolina to conduct hands-on ocean science activities.  Marshfield High School will be taking the Hawaii trip, Raleigh Charter High School will be taking the Mississippi trip, Eastside High School selected the Netbooks and Lexington High School will be going on the North Carolina trip.  The fifth through 12th place teams and the Sportsmanship winner received an array of prizes from marine science textbooks to gift certificates.

Congratulations to everyone who participated in the 15th Annual National Ocean Sciences Bowl! See you next year!

Photo by Will Ramos / Ocean Leadership

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We will be posting updates of scores and pictures from the Finals competition in Baltimore, April 19-22.

2012 competitors: Be sure to tell your family and friends to to follow along and keep updated on the latest Finals news!

We are getting excited  and gearing up for the 2012 Finals here at the National Office. We are looking forward to a successful and fun competition this year in Baltimore!

• Annapolis Christian Academy
• Ledyard High School
• Scripps Ranch High School
• Treasure Valley Math and Science Center

We wish all the teams luck and look forward to seeing you soon!