Narragansett, RI — January 29, 2002 — The regional tournament of the National Ocean Sciences Bowl (NOSB), dubbed the Quahog Bowl, will be held at the University of Rhode Island’s Narragansett Bay Campus on Saturday, February 9. For the event, 16 teams of high school students from Rhode Island and Connecticut are busy preparing to compete in the regional competition. The NOSB was created in 1998 by the Consortium for Oceanographic Research and Education to commemorate the International Year of the Ocean.
Organized by the URI Office of Marine Programs, the 2002 Quahog Bowl is hosted by the URI Graduate School of Oceanography (GSO) in collaboration with Mystic Aquarium, a major sponsor.
Rhode Island students will compete from the following schools: two teams from Cranston High School West and Woonsocket High School, and one team each from Cranston High School East, Narragansett High School, North Kingstown High School, Portsmouth High School, and West Warwick High School. Last year, a team from Cranston High School West was the 2001 Quahog Bowl winner and placed third in the national competition.
Connecticut schools competing for the regional title include Marianapolis Prep School in Thompson, Miss Porter’s School in Farmington, New Milford High School, Plainville High School, Southington High School, Tolland High School, and Waterford High School.
In preparation for the rapid-fire, question-and-answer contest, teams of five students study topics such as chemistry, geology, physics, biology, history and economics of the marine environment. Top regional teams will be invited to the national competition in April, which this year will be held in Providence.
Each of the five students on the top two teams in the Quahog Bowl will receive a $1,000 cash scholarship, a tour of the Naval Underwater Warfare Center in Newport, including a visit to the Center’s simulation laboratory, a field trip aboard the URI vessel Cap’n Bert, and a sail on the Sloop Providence.
“The goal of this national initiative is to interest bright high school students in ocean sciences,” said Gail Scowcroft, Associate Director of Marine and
Environmental Education at URI’s Office of Marine Programs. “We have a critical need in the U.S. for scientists who will be able to solve marine-related problems, and we are pleased that the URI Graduate School of Oceanography is able to provide this service to Rhode Island and Connecticut high school students.
“It is very exciting for Rhode Island that the national competition will be held in Providence this year,” added Scowcroft. “We hope many high school students and their families will be able to attend.”
Patterned after the National Science Bowl, the National Ocean Sciences Bowl was inaugurated in 1998 to provide a forum for students who excel in math and science to receive national recognition for their diligence and talent while broadening their awareness and understanding of the oceans. National sponsors of the National Ocean Sciences Bowl include the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, the Office of Naval Research, the Oceanographer of the Navy, the National Science Foundation, NASA, the U.S. Geological Survey, Anteon Corporation, the Environmental Protection Agency, the Department of Energy, Minerals Management Service, the Ocean Conservancy, Royal Caribbean International, and the Brunswick Public Foundation
Major regional sponsors include the URI Graduate School of Oceanography; Mystic Aquarium; Pfizer, Inc.; Hanna Instruments; NOAA Fisheries Narragansett Laboratory; Rhode Island Sea Grant; Connecticut Sea Grant; URI Friends of Oceanography; the URI President’s Office; the Continental Sloop Providence; the Slater Center for Ocean Technology; and the Slater Center for Biotechnology.
For more information about the competition, contact Gail Scowcroft in the URI Office of Marine Programs at (401) 874-6211 or visit the Quahog Bowl website at
Contact: Lisa Cugini, (401) 874-6642