NC Blue Heron Bowl Set For Feb. 5

by Cameron Miller

The North Carolina Sea Grant is among the proud sponsors of the 2022 Blue Heron Bowl (BHB), a virtual event to be held Saturday, Feb. 5.

The deadline for high school teams to enter is Friday, Jan. 14, but late requests may be considered on a space-available basis. 

“The Blue Heron Bowl also draws in a wider community through volunteers — even in the virtual setting,” notes Janelle Fleming of Seahorse Coastal Consulting, competition coordinator. 

Erika Young, Sea Grant’s new education specialist, also suggests that teachers and students, and science lovers of all ages, would enjoy watching the virtual competition this year. “Maybe some observers will gather a team for next year,” she adds. Check for the live links on the bowl’s page on Facebook. 

BHB co-hosts in 2022 include university programs in Carteret County, including the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill’s Institute of Marine Science, Duke University Marine Lab, and North Carolina State University’s Center for Marine Sciences and Technology. Sponsors also include the Merrow Foundation.

The N.C. event is a regional competition of the National Ocean Science Bowl (NOSB). Sponsored by the Consortium for Ocean Leadership, NOSB is both a competition and program aimed at closing a national gap in environmental and earth science education in public schools through introducing high school students to and engaging them in ocean science. The idea is that the interdisciplinary nature of ocean science will aid in preparing students for lifelong careers in STEM, while also promoting an interest in becoming environmental stewards.

In North Carolina, BHB is a quiz bowl-style event where teams of students compete head-to-head, answering a variety of questions on the fields of marine technology, oceanography, and related legislation. The winning team will advance and compete at NOSB.

Anyone interested in BHB can contact Fleming at  janelle.fleming@merrowfoundation.org or call 252-269-0385.

To register a team, go to: eventbrite.com/e/blue-heron-bowl-2022-registration-218077705287

“We also are currently seeking volunteers to act as moderators, science judges, timekeepers, scorekeepers, and room recognizers,” Fleming notes. She shares this link to sign-up.