Manatee Bowl

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Welcome to the Manatee Bowl!

The Manatee Bowl is one of 16 regional competitions as part of the National Ocean Sciences Bowl (NOSB). The NOSB is hosted by the University Corporation for Atmospheric Research (UCAR).

The NOSB is an academic competition and program that addresses a national gap in environmental and earth sciences in public education by introducing high school students to and engaging them in ocean science, preparing them for ocean science-related and other STEM careers, and helping them become knowledgeable citizens and environmental stewards.

UCAR will be hosting a national final competition this year! They are piloting a new format: virtual, scored poster presentation competition. More information on the finals competition can be found here.

What happens at the Manatee Bowl?

The Manatee Bowl is the South/Southeast Florida regional competition of the NOSB. It is a day-long, jeopardy-like competition consisting of round-robin and single-elimination formats for teams of high school students. The format involves a timed competition of multiple-choice or short-answer questions within the broad category of Ocean Sciences (this year's theme is Marine Debris, so there will also be some questions on that!). Questions are drawn from the scientific and technical disciplines used in studying the oceans (physics, chemistry, geology, atmospheric science, biology, etc.) as well as topics on the contributions of the oceans to national and international economics, history, and culture.

The goal of the Manatee Bowl is to engage students in Ocean Sciences, prepare them for STEM careers and/or college, and help them become knowledgeable citizens and environmental stewards. The Manatee Bowl will provide a fun environment for students to increase their understanding about the oceans, advance ocean literacy, and raise the visibility of ocean-related research.

2027 Competition Information

Competition date: Saturday February 27, 2027

Competition location: Rosenstiel School of Marine, Atmospheric, and Earth Science, 4600 Rickenbacker Causeway, Key Biscayne FL. 33149

Team registration cost: Free!

Info for coaches & teams

Each team consists of 4 students, an alternate, and a coach. We are targeting schools in the South/Southeast Florida region. All students must currently be in high school. The Manatee Bowl will accommodate 8 teams this year. A high school or club can register a maximum of two teams, an A team and B team. Depending on availability and number of schools signed up, B teams will be selected by a random drawing and may be called upon as late as competition day.

Interested in participating? Please fill out the registration form.

Team registrations will be accepted until November 30, 2027.

There is no registration fee for teams, as we'd like to make this event as accessible as possible!

For more information on forming a team and participating, please review the NOSB's "Information for Teams" webpage and their Competition Rules before signing up. We also suggest reviewing the NOSB's study resources as you prepare!

The 2027 NOSB competition year theme is: “From Source to Sea: Understanding Marine Debris." The theme influences competition questions, professional development webinars, regional enhancement activities, and other special events. Teams can expect at least one theme-related question in every round. Themes are chosen based on input from students, coaches, and volunteers in our post-regional bowl surveys. Check out the theme resources.

NOSB-supported free virtual workshop - October 22nd

Join an NOSB-supported free virtual workshop for educators who want to bring ocean science into their classroom on October 22, 2026, from 4:00 - 5:00 pm MDT. Presenters will share resources and classroom investigations that foster deeper understanding of the ocean's role in our Earth system. We’ll hear stories of IOOS research and discover classroom activities to help your students explore topics such as coastal hazards, ecosystem changes, and food security. Learn more and register.

Info for volunteers

We are currently recruiting volunteers for the 2027 Manatee Bowl! Please fill out the volunteer sign-up form if interested.

Kindly note volunteers will need to complete 1-2 volunteer trainings (in-person at the Rosenstiel campus) before the competition. Volunteer training dates are TBD but we will work with our volunteers' schedules to ensure everyone has a chance to come.

Volunteer roles:

  • Team Challenge question judge: Must have science background (ideally faculty or staff working in research). They work in a special grading room scoring short answer questions. We are looking for 2-3 scientists across different subject matter expertise (Ocean Sciences, Marine Biology, Atmospheric Science, etc.) who are ideally able to stay all day. 
  • Moderator: Preferably a scientist who knows how to pronounce scientific terminology and is very well spoken. They run the game play.  Experience having seen the competition is a big plus.
  • Science Judge: In the room, next to moderator. No experience necessary.  They are there to settle any science disputes if a team disagrees with a question. 
  • Rules Judge: Experience necessary.  Knows the competition well!  Ideally someone who has competed before, or as at least judged several times and willing to study the rules.
  • Score keeper: No experience or science knowledge necessary but must pay attention and be able do basic math quickly.
  • Time keeper: No experience or science knowlege necessary.  Manages the session timer and question stop watch so just needs to pay attention.
  • Runner: Takes the questions to and from Ocean Central (where the team challenge judges sit). Gets more supplies if needed, general helper.

Interested in donating or sponsoring?

Want to support the Manatee Bowl by donating a team prize or sponsoring a portion of the event? Please contact katie.eaton@earth.miami.edu. Thank you!

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