Ocean Knowledge at Full Sail
Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology Rides the Waves as NOSB National Champs
May 21, 2025 - by Audrey Merket
The team from Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology showcased their impressive knowledge in both the buzzer rounds and the problem-solving based Team Challenge Questions. Their victory is a testament to their curiosity, hard work, and hours of self-directed study. Students on the championship team include Marta Anvelt, Krish Bommakanti, Jack Gao, Ethan Li, and David Yan. They are coached by Shawn Stickler. (Image: TJHSST)
The Center for Ocean Leadership (COL), a University Corporation for Atmospheric Research (UCAR) community program, announced Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology (TJHSST) from Alexandria, VA as the winner of the 2025 virtual National Ocean Sciences Bowl (NOSB) Finals Competition.
The finals competition was held May 16-18. During the head-to-head competition, 18 teams of high school students fiercely competed using an online buzzer system. Teams demonstrated their remarkable expertise in a wide range of topics including ocean currents, marine mammal biology, coastal processes, and the 2025 theme of “Sounding the Depths: Understanding Ocean Acoustics.”
To qualify, teams first had to win their regional competitions this past February and March. In total, approximately 850 students on more than 165 teams across 26 states participated, adding to the more than 40,000 students who have passed through the ocean sciences competition over the last 27 years.
“We are incredibly proud to have had our hard work pay off and can’t wait to come back even stronger next year,” the team said in a statement, “We’d like to thank members of the TJHSST Ocean Bowl Club and our coach, Dr. Stickler, for their continued support – we could not have gotten as far as we did without them.”
Additional Winners
The top eight teams at the Finals Competition also included:
2nd Place – Midwood High School, Brooklyn, NY
3rd Place – Lynbrook High School, San Jose, CA
4th Place – Marshfield High School, Marshfield, WI
5th Place – Falmouth High School, Falmouth, ME
6th Place – Centerville High School, Centerville, OH
7th Place – Warwick High School, Newport News, VA
8th Place – Juneau-Douglas High School, Juneau, AK
The NOSB, which places an important emphasis on sportsmanship, awarded Tacoma School of the Arts from Tacoma, WA the James D. Watkins Sportsmanship Award. The award is named after Admiral James D. Watkins, who founded the NOSB in 1998 and was a champion for ocean science and education in the U.S. The team will receive a summer award trip to the U.S. National Science Foundation National Center for Atmospheric Research, which is managed by UCAR, thanks to the Friends of the National Center.
“These students, as well as all our championship teams, have shown an extraordinary level of passion and knowledge about our ocean, and it’s exciting to see what happens when students combine a love of learning about our environment, competing, and working together toward a common goal,” said COL Director Sonya Legg. “They are truly our next generation of ocean leaders in the making!”
The 2025 national NOSB program is made possible by support from regional and national sponsors, including the Schmidt Ocean Institute, NASA, Curtis and Edith Munson Foundation, and Bureau of Ocean Energy Management.
Learn more about the NOSB on the program website.