Sea Lion Bowl

San Francisco State University’s Center for Science and Mathematics Education and the College of Science and Engineering are proud to host the Sea Lion Bowl. The Sea Lion Bowl is the Northern California regional competition of the National Ocean Sciences Bowl (NOSB) and is sponsored by the Consortium for Ocean Leadership in Washington, DC. This event is the culmination of months of effort by students, teachers, staff and volunteers. The generous support of sponsors also plays an important role in the success of the Sea Lion Bowl.

The Sea Lion Bowl, formerly known as the Otter Bowl in Monterey Bay, began in 1998, The Year of the Ocean, as a way to encourage high school students and teachers to learn more about the ocean and ocean exploration. The NOSB provides a venue for students who excel in math and science to receive regional and national recognition for their diligence and talents while broadening their awareness and understanding of ocean science.

The Sea Lion Bowl is one of 25 regional academic competitions that make up the National Ocean Sciences Bowl. The winners from each regional competition will advance to the National competition. The competition consists of a rigorous daylong event in which sixteen teams from Northern California high schools compete in round robin and elimination rounds. The event is designed to increase knowledge of the oceans on the part of high school students, their teachers and parents. In turn, this raises the awareness and public understanding of the national investment in ocean-related research. Teams are quizzed on all fields within the marine sciences: biology, chemistry, physics, geology, geography, social sciences, technology, and policy.

San Francisco State University is looking forward to working with Northern California high schools that would like to participate in this exciting competition. Field trips, practice sessions, and other resources will be made available to participating teams, and prizes are given to the top teams, coaches, and to the team exhibiting best sportsmanship.

For more information, check out sealionbowl.org