A special thanks to the more than 70 volunteers from Old Dominion University’s
Department of Ocean, Earth & Atmospheric Science, the Virginia Institute of Marine
Science, College of William & Mary, the U.S. Navy, and National Oceanic & Atmospheric
Administration! Without your investment of time, energy and expertise, this
opportunity for aspiring young scientists would not be possible!

Volunteer recruitment for Blue Crab Bowl 2013 will begin in Fall 2012. Visit again in
September for more information on 2013 Bowl dates and volunteer training schedules.

You can contribute to science education in Virginia and help spark the next generation
of aspiring marine scientists.

Each winter, Old Dominion University’s Department of Ocean, Earth and Atmospheric Sciences (OEAS) and the Virginia Institute of Marine Science (VIMS), College of William & Mary, co-host a high school academic competition focused on the ocean sciences. In 2012, sixteen teams from across the state will participate in the 15th Annual Blue Crab Bowl (BCB)

Our Virginia regional competition is one of 25 contests conducted around the nation each year as part of the National Ocean Sciences Bowl (NOSB®), a program coordinated by the Consortium for Ocean Leadership in Washington, DC.  NOSB seeks to generate student interest and excitement about science and the oceans, and give young people a chance to examine marine science as a field of study and possible career path.  Learn more about NOSB at their website.  The winner of the Blue Crab Bowl faces other top regional teams in April at the national competition.

Inspiring young marine scientists is rewarding, but it does take some work!  About 70 volunteers are needed to run the event. ODU contributes 4 teams of officials, as does VIMS, and we need additional scientists to grade the Team Challenge Questions, and other volunteers to help with event operations.   For a position that suits you, review the job thumbnails.  More detailed descriptions of responsibilities are linked to each thumbnail.  Currently, the 2011 versions of all training materials for officials are available in the Officials PDF Folder on the "More Information" page. 

See students and volunteer officials in action in the new Blue Crab Bowl video.

BCB Coordinators at VIMS and ODU hold orientations and training sessions for volunteers interested in helping this inspiring and faculty, student and staff-intensive extravaganza.

Questions? 
Contact the BCB Coordinators.