A team from the Arkansas School for Mathematics, Sciences, and the Arts recently won the Dolphin Challenge, the northern Texas regional competition of the National Ocean Sciences Bowl.
Students in the quiz bowl-style competition answer questions from all disciplines of ocean sciences, including biology, chemistry, physics, geology, geography and social sciences. NOSB is managed nationally by the Consortium for Ocean Leadership, a nonprofit organization based in Washington, D.C. The competition was hosted Feb. 4 by the Texas Sea Grant College Program of Texas A&M University at Galveston.
Two teams from ASMSA participated in the competition. "Team A" won the competition and will advance to join 24 other regional winners at the NOSB competition finals April 20-23 at Oregon State University in Corvallis.
Team members included Will Duke, of Pine Bluff, Juliet Green, of Malvern, Jason Ly, of Jonesboro, Rebecca Parham, of Alma, and Tristan Tompkins, of Springdale. They are coached by Lindsey Waddell, a chemistry and geoscience instructor at ASMSA.
NOSB is designed to support and encourage the next generation of marine scientists, policy makers, teachers, explorers, researchers, technicians and informed citizens to be stewards of the ocean. About 2,000 students from more than 300 high schools around the country participate each year.
Waddell said the trip to Galveston to compete in the Dolphin Challenge serves as the "capstone experience" for students who completed her semesterlong oceanography course. This is the first year one of her teams has earned a trip to the national competition during her five years as coach. ASMSA took second place at the Dolphin Challenge last year.
"This is one of the strongest teams that I have coached in terms of their overall math and science preparation," Waddell said. "And thanks to the ASMSA Global Learning Program, two of the team members were even able to study marine biology in Belize with Dr. James Engman of Henderson State University over the summer."
The theme of this year's competition is "Blue Energy: Powering the Planet With Our Ocean." The continuous movement of surface winds, tides, and currents, as well as differences in salinity and temperature, are considered naturally abundant sources of energy from the sea that can generate power.
"We're thrilled to have kicked off our 20th year of competitions," said Kristen Yarincik, director of the NOSB at the Consortium for Ocean Leadership. "It is the high quality and caliber of participating students, coaches, and volunteers who make this program possible -- this year and for the last 19 -- and I look forward to seeing all of our finalists in Oregon."
ASMSA competed in the northern Texas regional because Arkansas does not host a regional competition. Schools in states without a regional competition compete in the regions closet to their schools.
Oregon State is one of three university partners in the Northwest National Marine Renewable Energy Center. The other partners are the University of Alaska Fairbanks and the University of Washington.
The center was established in 2008 by the United States Department of Energy to facilitate the development of marine renewable energy technologies via research, education and outreach. Faculty and students research and investigate technical, environmental and social dimensions of ocean energy technologies for the responsible development of renewable energy.
Research at Washington has focused on tidal energy. The university received an $8 million, four-year contract from the Naval Facilities Engineering Command in 2014 to develop marine renewable energy for use at the Navy's facilities around the world.
The Department of Energy announced in December it will award as much as $40 million for the Pacific Marine Energy Center South Energy Test Site at Oregon State. It is planned to be the world's most advanced wave energy test facility.
"The finals competition should be an amazing experience with field trip opportunities related to this year's competition theme," Waddell said. "We are looking forward to being able to tour their research facilities and learn about the latest developments in renewable marine energy technology."
Waddell said she believes ASMSA is the only Arkansas team to compete in the National Ocean Sciences Bowl. She said she hopes more teams from Arkansas compete in the future as more teachers learn about the program.
"NOSB is a great motivation for students to learn about ocean processes, resources and policy, which should matter to everyone, not just those who reside in a coastal state," Waddell said.
Local on 02/13/2017