FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE February 2, 2000
Contact: Judy McDonald, NOSB Coordinator, 907-224-5261 Email: fnjm1@uaf.edu
SG-2000/NR188

Alaska's ocean sciences bowl rescheduled
Heavy snow strands team, equipment

SEWARD, Alaska — Organizers of the Alaska regional competition of the National Ocean Sciences Bowl (NOSB) have postponed the popular statewide high school marine knowledge quiz because of heavy snow and avalanches that block the only road to Seward, where the competition is to be held.

The marine sciences bowl has been rescheduled for February 12-13, 2000, in Seward.

Heavy snow also is preventing one of the Seward teams from returning home from Anchorage, where they are participating in other school-related activities.

Severe winter weather has delayed the delivery of the bowl's electronic buzzer system. The buzzers are stuck in Anchorage, along with caterers' supplies, t-shirts, prizes and the trophy to be presented to the winning team.

The Alaska marine science competition is only three years old, yet it draws students from across the state. Teams this year that will make the trip to Seward come from as far away as White Mountain, a small, a predominantly Native village in southwest Alaska. High schools in Anchorage, Unalakleet, Soldotna, Seward, and elsewhere also will compete to represent Alaska at the NOSB national finals in Washington, D.C., in mid-April.

At stake in the Alaska event are prizes including free tuition at the University of Alaska for the first and second place teams.

For more information about the Alaska event:
http://seagrant.uaf.edu/nosb/index.html

For more information about the National Ocean Sciences Bowl:
http://core.cast.msstate.edu/NOSBtop.html