ODU’s Blue Crab Bowl Celebrates 25 Years of Bringing Ocean Science to Virginia High School Students

Written By: Tiffany Whitfield

A ripple effect has continuously occurred as part of the Blue Crab Bowl, an annual ocean science competition hosted by Old Dominion University Department of Ocean & Earth Sciences and the Virginia Institute of Marine Science. This year marks the 25th anniversary of this science competition. This year's bowl was held on February 11-12, 2022. There were 70 high school students from 13 teams in the Commonwealth of Virginia who faced off for a weekend of science competition.

"Even though we were forced to host the 25th annual Blue Crab Bowl virtually, we were impressed by the enthusiasm of our competing teams and the excitement they showed in our Zoom room environment," said Bill Dunn, ODU's regional coordinator and a former Blue Crab Bowl coach.

Students and their coaches worked for months to prepare for this buzzer beating competition stemmed in questions about ocean science, along with biology, geology, chemistry, physics, marine policy, and maritime history.

"Congratulations to the competitors and Coach Sara Beam of Chesapeake Bay Governor's School--Glenns on its first-place finish," said Fred Dobbs, professor and chair of OES. "I know the more than 70 volunteers from ODU and VIMS who contributed to this year's Bowl wish you the very best of luck as you enter the national competition."

The winners of the 2022 coveted Blue Crab Bowl competition are as follows:

1st Place: Chesapeake Bay Governor's School - Glenns

2nd place: Norfolk Collegiate School

3rd place: Broadwater Academy

4th place: Chesapeake Bay Governor's School - Warsaw

"When we heard that we won, we were just totally elated and it was a really great feeling to have our efforts rewarded against a tough field of competitors," said Sara Beam coach and science teacher at Chesapeake Bay Governor's School-Glenns (CBGSG). "When we heard that we won, we were just totally elated and it was a really great feeling to have our efforts rewarded against a tough field of competitors."

The winning team members are Dylan White (captain and senior), Brenna Hendrix (senior), Erik Graulich, Joshua Mayer and Paige Baldwin are juniors. CBGSG students met twice a week in the evenings for more than a month, and they relied primarily on our course learning for our success. "Since all CBGS students take a series of marine courses in our curriculum it really helps to prepare them for the Blue Crab Bowl," said Coach Beam. "Our team really had fun competing and worked great together as a team."

Here is the full list of participating schools from the 2022 Blue Crab Bowl:

• Albemarle High School
• Broadwater Academy
• Catholic High School
• Chesapeake Bay Governor's School - Glenns campus
• Chesapeake Bay Governor's School - Warsaw campus
• Churchland High School
  Governor's School for Science and Technology
• Isle of Wight Academy A and B
• Norfolk Collegiate A and B
• Seton School
• Tidewater Academy

ODU and VIMS have partnered on this regional competition since 1998. More than 2,000 students from 61 schools across the Commonwealth of Virginia have participated in this science Olympics of the mind. Some of the coaches at the participating schools were once competitors. The coaches for Norfolk Collegiate and Broadwater Academy both matriculated through the ODU OES graduate program.

"A lot of students have gone on to become officials in regional competitions wherever they've landed as adults," said Carol Hopper-Brill, a retired marine education specialist and longtime Blue Crab Bowl participant. "There is a nice ripple effect and if you participate, you value what the competitions about, and you want other young people to have that same experience."

Former student competitors have gone on to pursue careers in marine sciences or other sciences. Some have even crossed paths with current organizers.

"One year, we went to invite our congressional representatives to support the regional bowls," Hopper-Brill said. "We went to one office and lo and behold, the legislative aide who met with us had participated in Blue Crab Bowl. Now he was working as a congressional aide. It's so important to have people who understand or value science in positions like that."

As one of the original 15 regional bowls in the National Ocean Sciences Bowl, the Blue Crab Bowl is one that has never missed a year in its 25 year history.

"We certainly had a challenge this year with Covid necessitating a second year of a virtual Blue Crab Bowl, and we could not have done it without the great support of the volunteers from the OES and VIMS faculty, staff and students," said Dunn.

"It's a fun event, and that shows in the number of coaches who bring their kids back year after year, and in the volunteer response," Smith said. "It's exciting to think how the competition will continue to grow in the next 25 years."

Organizers from ODU and VIMS missed hosting the high school teams on campus and at the Virginia Beach Higher Education Center and the Friday main campus science tours and time aboard the R/V Fay Slover, but they hope to be back together next year at VIMS.

"We are all still smiling about the whole thing," said Coach Beaman. "We really look forward to getting back to the in-person competition next year." Chesapeake Bay Governor's School for Marine and Environmental Science- Glenns Campus is part of the public school system and a regional selection based, academic year Governor's school in the Middle Peninsula of Virginia. CBGS offers a rigorous STEM education focused on hands-on learning, and a research-based curriculum with course work specifically in marine and environmental sciences from 10-12th grade.

Chesapeake Bay Governor's School - Glenns, will go on to compete in the National Ocean Science Bowl, to be held on virtually on May 6-15, 2022.