Lexington High School’s National Ocean Science Bowl (NOSB) team is getting ready for their first competition of the season: the Blue Lobster Bowl.
The LHS National Ocean Science Bowl (NOSB) club competes in teams to demonstrate their knowledge of topics in ocean science from physical oceanography to popular culture.
The buzzer-based competition consists of toss-up and bonus rounds. Each toss-up is worth four points, and if a team answers correctly, they can attempt a bonus worth six points. In addition to toss-ups and bonuses, there is also the Team Challenge Question (TCQ) that happens once every round.
“During the TCQ, teams work with each other for five minutes to answer questions about a specific ocean topic and get a total of up to 20 points. These points are added to the team’s point total at the end of the buzzer round, and it can sometimes help a team win when they’ve been losing the buzzing round,” Tomer Elkayam, a junior, said.
Some members joined the team after initially developing an interest in ocean science.
“I became interested in ocean science as a middle schooler when I learned about it as part of earth science. When I first entered NOSB as a freshman, I felt drawn to the comfortable environment because it was full of people with similar interests who worked together as a team,” Yoo said.
Although the national competitions were canceled this season, the team still hopes to compete in the Blue Lobster Bowl, which will be held on March 2, 2024. As they prepare for their upcoming competitions, members are not only working on strengthening their subject knowledge, but also their teamwork and communication skills.
“Team chemistry involves knowing which team member is best to answer which question. It’s essential for bonus and team challenge questions which require coordinated team thinking,” Elkayam said.
The competitors learn more than just ocean science facts—they also gain a more meaningful understanding of the rapidly changing world around them.
“My favorite part of being part of NOSB is all the knowledge I gain about how our oceans work and how they are threatened by the actions humans do. This helps me be more aware of my impact on the environment and how those impacts are scientifically significant,” Yoo said.
