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BIDDEFORD, Maine

UNE hosts 2010 Nor'easter Ocean Science Bowl Feb. 6th

The University of New England's Department of Marine Sciences will host the 2010 "Nor'easter Bowl" on Saturday, Feb. 6, 2010 from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. on the Biddeford Campus.  

The final rounds are in Alfond starting at 4:00 p.m., and will be followed by an Awards Ceremony.  

The Nor'easter Bowl is a regional competition of the National Ocean Sciences Bowl (NOSB), an annual academic competition that tests high school students' knowledge of the marine sciences, including biology, chemistry, physics and geology.  The goal of the NOSB is to support and expand ocean sciences education and enhance public understanding and stewardship of the oceans.  Each year, approximately 2,000 students from 300 schools across the nation compete for prizes and a trip to compete in the national competition.

During the regional Nor'easter Bowl, 19 teams of four to five students are tested on their knowledge of scientific and technical disciplines through quick-answer, buzzer questions and more complex team challenge problems.  The winning team from the Nor'easter Bowl will advance to the NOSB Finals competition, held April 23-25 at the University of South Florida in St. Petersburg, Fla.

The Nor'easter Bowl is open to teams from any high school in Maine, New Hampshire and Vermont.  Science teachers serve as team coaches.  Students can win a variety of regional and national awards, including educational trips, visits to oceanographic institutions and aquaria and books.  In addition, students who participate are eligible to apply for the Coastal and Ocean Science Training (COAST) Internship Program and the National Ocean Scholar Program.

Erin Hendrickson, a freshman at UNE and participant in the Nor'Easter Bowl all four years of high school, states "It was a fun way to do things involving the ocean, while being landlocked in Peterborough, New Hampshire."  The last year Hendrickson competed in the regional competition; she won a $3,000 scholarship to attend UNE, as this would be the site of the 2010 regional Nor'easter Bowl. 

The sponsors and supporters of the event include the University of New England, Consortium for Ocean Leadership, University of Maine School of Marine Sciences, Maine Sea Grant College Program, New Hampshire Sea Grant Program, Bigelow Laboratory for Ocean Sciences, The Chewonki Foundation, College of the Atlantic, Darling Marine Center, Great Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve, Gulf of Maine Marine Education Association, Gulf of Maine Research Institute, Maine Aquaculture Innovation Center, Maine Coastal Program, Maine Maritime Academy, University of Maine College of Natural Sciences, Forestry and Agriculture, UNE Marine Animal Rehabilitation Center and Wells National Estuarine Research Reserve.

For more information or if you are interested in volunteering, contact David Guay at 207-602-2188 or send email to dguay1@une.edu.

About the University of New England

The University of New England is Maine’s largest independent university, with two beautiful coastal campuses in Maine, a one-of-a-kind study abroad campus in Tangier, Morocco, and an array of flexible, accredited online degrees. In an uncommonly welcoming and supportive community, we offer hands-on learning, empowering students to make a positive impact in a world full of challenges. The state’s top provider of health professionals, we are home to Maine’s only medical college, Maine’s only dental college, a variety of other interprofessionally aligned health care degree programs, as well as nationally recognized programs for marine science degrees, natural and social sciences degrees, arts and humanities degrees, and business degrees.