WASHINGTON - The 11th Annual National Ocean Sciences Bowl (NOSB®) is being held April 25-27th at Seward High School in Seward, Alaska. High School students from all over the United States will compete in the NOSB Final Competition with prizes and scholarships on the line. The NOSB is a program of the Consortium for Ocean Leadership based in Washington, DC.

In February the NOSB hosted regional competitions around the nation at twenty five different sites, where teams competed over their knowledge of our oceans. The regional champions with four or five students on each team will participate in the 2008 NOSB with a chance to take home the top prize and become this year’s national champion.

Approximately 2,000 students from over 300 high schools participated this year. Through this educational forum, the NOSB strives to encourage and support the next generation of marine scientists, policy makers, teachers, explorers, researchers, technicians, environmental advocates and informed citizens.

“The students competing in the National Ocean Sciences Bowl Finals are exceptionally brilliant and are what make this such a special and prestigious program,” said Robert B. Gagosian, President & CEO of the Consortium for Ocean Leadership. “These students are the future stewards of our oceans and we hope that they lead this nation to understand, conserve and protect our ocean resources,” continued Gagosian.

Regional Championship Teams Competing at the NOSB Final Competition in Seward, Alaska

• Kealakehe High School –  Kona, Hawaii from the Aloha Bowl

• Churchville-Chili Senior High School – Churchville, New York from the Bay Scallop Bowl

• Bishop Sullivan Catholic High School – Virginia Beach, Virginia from the Blue Crab Bowl

• East Carteret High School – Beaufort, North Carolina from the Blue Heron Bowl

• Lincoln-Sudbury Regional High School – Sudbury, Massachusetts from the Blue Lobster Bowl

• Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology –  Alexandria, Virginia from the Chesapeake Bay Bowl

• Sanger High School – Sanger, Texas from the Dolphin Challenge

• Dexter High School – Dexter, Michigan from the Great Lakes Bowl

• Long Beach High School – Long Beach, Mississippi from the Hurricane Bowl

• La Jolla High School – San Diego, California from the La Jolla Surf Bowl

• Marshfield High School – Marshfield, Wisconsin from the Lake Sturgeon Bowl

• Star Charter School – Austin, Texas from the Loggerhead Challenge

• Santa Monica High School – Santa Monica, California from the Los Angeles Surf Bowl

• South Broward High School – Hollywood, Florida from the Manatee Bowl

• Poudre High School – Ft. Collins, Colorado from the Mountain Mariner Challenge

• Contoocook Valley Regional High School – Peterborough, New Hampshire from Nor’easter Bowl

• ExCEL Academic League – Vancouver, Washington from the Orca Bowl

• Mission San Jose High School – Freemont, California from the Otter Bowl

• State College Area High School –  State College, Pennsylvania from the Penguin Bowl

• Cranston High School West – Cranston, Rhode Island from the Quahog Bowl

• Neah-Kah-Nie High School – Rockaway Beach, Oregon from the Salmon Bowl

• Marine Academy of Science and Technology – Sandy Hook, NJ from the Shore Bowl

• Irmo High School – Columbia, South Carolina from the Southern Stingray Bowl

• Middleton Magnet High School – Middleton, Florida from the Spoonbill Bowl

• Juneau-Douglas High School – Juneau, Alaska from the Tsunami Bowl

For more information about the National Ocean Sciences Bowl log on to www.nosb.org