Attention: NOSB Alumni
You are invited to compete in the first Alumni Ocean Sciences Invitational (AOSI) a fun and engaging, new, international virtual ocean sciences bowl competition on Sunday, May 14, 2023. This virtual competition will be played head-to-head with the online Slapbowl buzzer system. There will be Team Challenge Questions (TCQs), but NO Science Expert Briefing (SEB).

Members of the winning team will win bragging rights and special prizes commemorating their championship.

ELIGIBILITY: The AOSI competition is open to teams of up to five people who have all previously competed in at least one regional competition of the National Ocean Sciences Bowl (NOSB). While geared for high school graduates, current high school students are welcome to compete, too, as long as they have previously competed in an NOSB regional competition.
Note: A team’s members do NOT necessarily have to have competed together on the same NOSB team in the past.

THEME: Like our sister Lexington Ocean Bowl Spring Tournament (LOBSTr, https://bit.ly/lexlobstr [bit.ly]) national virtual ocean sciences bowl competition for high school students on May 13 & 14, 2023 (for which we hope you will consider officiating/volunteering on 5/13!), the theme of our competition will also be the Intertidal Zone since “the intertidal zone is one of the most tumultuous places in our oceans. Just as these inhabitants experience varying salinity and temperature, and withstand wave action and exposure,” we as a community are experiencing and adapting to our own turmoil and uncertainty since NOSB has suspended all official competitions in 2022-23.

RULES: Aside from alumni/ae eligibility, AOSI rules will be nearly identical to in-person, head-to-head NOSB competitions in 2020 and 2022, except that
– TCQs will be administered in separate sessions (not between the buzzer halves during each match)
– More time will be allotted for players to buzz in and to begin answering, plus a few more minutes per half (due to latency correction time and varying internet speed)
– There will be penalties for blurting
– The competition format and rules for advancement will depend on the number of registered teams and volunteer officials (and will be announced before the competition begins)

Learn More: https://www.pmd.org/project.php?id=993 [pmd.org]

Register your Team Intent by 12/15/22 at http://www.pmd.org/s/AOSI23.htm [pmd.org] and complete your registration by 1/15/23 with team roster, create three (3) new Team Challenge Questions, and suggested donation of $10+ to People Making a Difference (PMD).