WHAT: The regional Ocean Sciences Bowl, known as the “Surf Bowl,” will pit teams of science- and math-savvy students from 24 Southern California high schools against each other on Saturday, March 15 at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, Calif.
In a fast-paced, game-show format like “Jeopardy,” students will buzz in to score points on short-answer and multiple-choice questions at the college freshman level. Students may not use calculators or notes for the competition. Questions will cover biology, chemistry, geology and physics of the oceans, as well as navigation, geography and related history and literature. The theme for this year’s competition is “Ocean Acidification.”
Four students, one alternate and a coach make up a team. The winning team will travel to Seattle to compete against dozens of other regional winners.
The competition was developed to foster the next generation of marine scientists, researchers and environmental advocates. The National Ocean Sciences Bowl is a program of the nonprofit Consortium for Oceanographic Research and Education, based in Washington, D.C.
WHO: Student teams from 24 high schools in Los Angeles County and as far north as San Francisco (full list of schools on next page).
WHEN: Saturday, March 15, from 7:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. Final matches begin at about 4:30 p.m. The awards presentation begins at approximately 5:30 p.m.
WHERE: JPL’s von Karman Auditorium. JPL is located off the Berkshire/Oak Grove Drive exit of the 210 (Foothill) Freeway. Visitor parking is to the left (west) of the JPL main guard gate, across the street from the JPL Visitors Center.
Reporters who would like to cover the event at JPL must arrange access by contacting David Israel in the JPL Media Relations Office by 3 p.m. on Thursday, March 13, at 818-354-4797 or david.israel@jpl.nasa.gov.
Schools Competing in the 2014 Ocean Sciences Bowl
Arcadia High School, Arcadia
Herbert Hoover High School, Glendale
Huntington Beach High School, Huntington Beach
Palos Verdes High School, Palos Verdes
Palos Verdes Peninsula High School, Palos Verdes
San Dimas High School, San Dimas
Santa Monica High School, Santa Monica
Temple City High School, Temple City
University High School, Irvine
Woodbridge High School, Irvine
Crescenta Valley High School, La Crescenta
Mark Keppel High School, Alhambra
West Covina High School, West Covina
Pasadena High School, Pasadena
North Hollywood High School, North Hollywood
Francisco Bravo Medical Magnet High School, Los Angeles
Animo Inglewood Charter High School, Inglewood
Bonita High School, La Verne
Sierra High School, Tollhouse
Ruth Asawa San Francisco School of the Arts, San Francisco
Mission San Jose High School, Fremont
Lowell High School, San Francisco
June Jordan School for Equity, San Francisco
La Cañada High School, La Cañada Flintridge
More information about the National Ocean Sciences Bowl is at:
More information about JPL’s involvement in the National Ocean Sciences Bowl is at:
