Dear Virginia Educators:

Now in its 12th year…

The Blue Crab Bowl — Virginia’s regional competition leading to the National Ocean Science Bowl (NOSB®) — remains a popular way for high school science teachers to engage motivated students.  The challenge of competition can stimulate and enrich student mastery of science in many marine-related subjects: biological, physical, chemical, earth and environmental sciences, marine engineering and technology, geography, maritime history, as well as current issues in marine research, economics and policy.  Moreover, the team structure of the Bowl encourages cooperative learning and problem-solving. 

Blue Crab Bowl staff and volunteers at the Virginia Institute of Marine Science (VIMS) and Old Dominion University (ODU) encourage your participation.  This year, we continue our streamlined procedure allowing teams to express interest in competing.  Have a look at the procedure and deadlines.  Sixteen teams are selected by lottery.  Only the selected teams have to assemble the extensive registration paperwork.  Others remain on the waiting list, in order of their lottery drawing.

If you are a high school teacher and haven’t considered coaching a team, please think about what this investment offers your students.  Veteran coaches credit the National Ocean Sciences Bowl for sparking student interest in sciences and for helping to win administration support for courses in marine-related sciences and technology. 

This year's competition will take place on February 20-21, 2009, at the VIMS campus in Gloucester Point , VA.  

The National finals will take place April 25-27 in Washington, DC.

The invitation for Blue Crab Bowl 2009 participation is now closed.  The 2009 Competition Roster includes 16 teams from across Virginia.  

If you need documentation to present to your school administration or other supporters, you can download a BCB brochure or event program.  NOSB’s extensive webpage will post the latest information about this national competition, its objectives and sponsoring agencies. Plus, NOSB offers resource lists and great tips on preparing a team for competition. 

Feel free to share this information with science teachers at your school.  We will be sending brochures to District Science Leaders and to Science Chairs at public and private high schools.  If you have questions about BCB, don’t hesitate to contact us.

We look forward to working with you and your team!

Sincerely,

Blue Crab Bowl Coordinator
Carol Hopper Brill (VIMS)

Download the BCB 2009 Brochure for this year's dates & information.

BCB2009-Brochure

Download the BCB 2008 event program to get a feeling for the event.

Use the on-line Contact Form form to reach the Bowl Coordinator.