Warwick High School triumphs as volunteers fuel 27th annual Blue Crab Bowl success
“Our students had an incredible experience from start to finish,” said Tristan Rivera, coach of the 2025 Blue Crab Bowl champion team from Warwick High School. “It’s not just the competition that’s fulfilling and meaningful, but also seeing marine scientists in their lab spaces and getting to interact with people from various fields within and around marine science, along with finding like-minded peers and camaraderie.”
The 27th annual Blue Crab Bowl, Virginia’s regional program of the National Ocean Sciences Bowl (NOSB), recently brought together some of the brightest young minds in marine science for a robust academic competition. Hosted on-site at William & Mary’s Batten School & VIMS campus in Gloucester, the competition featured 16 teams from 13 high schools and secondary-level institutions across the commonwealth. One of 23 NOSB regional competitions, the event provided students with an opportunity to showcase their knowledge of marine science and compete for a spot in the national finals.
“For 27 years, both the Batten School of Coastal & Marine Sciences & VIMS and the Old Dominion University Department of Ocean and Earth Science have worked together to plan and execute this event for over 2,000 high school students,” said Bethany Smith, the marine educator who organizes the Batten School & VIMS’ implementation of the competition. “This enduring and committed collaboration is a testament to our mission to engage and educate our future leaders and problem solvers.”
This year’s competition saw participation from 80 students, supported by 22 passionate teacher coaches and 63 dedicated volunteers, including 48 from the Batten School & VIMS. Volunteers gave their time to work as moderators, science judges, rules judges, timekeepers, scorekeepers, room runners, team challenge graders, event support and photographers.
Marta Sanderson, a Batten School & VIMS research associate and lab manager, served as a moderator for this year’s event. “Volunteering for Blue Crab Bowl is a great way to share our passion for marine science with high school students who might be interested in a career in marine science,” she said. “It is important for scientists to be positive role models; plus, it's also a lot of fun to see students’ excitement and to engage with them about our work.”
The first day of the event was dedicated to exploration and learning. Students toured the Batten School & VIMS campus and attended a special “visual capture” workshop led by artist Zara Fina Stasi ‘12, which emphasized the effectiveness of incorporating imagery into notetaking and communication. Another session introduced students to W&M’s new bachelor’s program in coastal and marine sciences, to be offered by the Batten School & VIMS beginning in the fall. Teams also participated in a mock competition, helping them refine their strategies before the next day’s official proceedings.
The main event featured a full day of intense academic competition. Teams competed in 46 matches through a series of round-robin, elimination and trophy rounds, testing their expertise in oceanography, marine biology, public policy and social science. In a thrilling, final-question conclusion, Warwick High School emerged victorious, securing first place in only their second year of competing. Seton School claimed second place, while the Governor’s School for Science and Technology finished third and Catholic High School’s B Team rounded out the top four.
“It is an immense accomplishment for our students to win the Blue Crab Bowl, as our school is new to the competition and does not focus on marine science as a magnet or specialty,” said Rivera. “Our students put in a lot of individual and group study time to get prepared, working on all aspects of marine science, choosing special roles based on their interests and practicing the BCB format to better hone their skills as a cohesive team.”
Charles Carlson, the coach of the 2024 champion Broadwater Academy team, agreed that winning in the Blue Crab Bowl requires, “dedication, the ability to have fun, obviously passion in the marine science field and then great team chemistry.” Or, as one of his students jokingly summarized, “good vibes.”
In addition to camaraderie, Grafton High School coach Adrienne Richardson said the event gives students academic self-assurance. After coming in second place last year, Grafton’s first year returning to the competition in many years, Richardson said, “our students came back confident and thinking, ‘I do know a lot about these topics, and I do measure up against my peers from other schools and I can be successful when I go to college.’”
Carlson added that the event provides students the opportunity to consider various educational and career possibilities as they learn from the numerous volunteers who have diverse careers in the world of marine science, from researching to communication. “Even the tour of the facility was just incredible,” he said. “We went to the shellfish lab and saw all the plankton; that was super cool.”
The Blue Crab Bowl continues to be a vital event for students interested in marine science, fostering a passion for the subject and offering a platform to connect with professionals in the field. Said Smith, “seeing high school students genuinely excited about coastal and ocean science is the reason we work so hard year after year to make the Blue Crab Bowl happen.”
Teams
Albemarle High School; Broadwater Academy; Catholic High School – A; Catholic High School – B; Catholic / Isle of Wight Combined; Chesapeake Bay Governor’s School, Bowling Green; Chesapeake Bay Governor’s School, Glenns; Chesapeake Bay Governor’s School, Warsaw; Chesapeake Bay Governor’s School Combined; Grafton High School; Governor’s School for Science & Technology; Isle of Wight Academy; Liberty High School; Norfolk Collegiate School; Seton School; Warwick High School
Regional Sponsors
Center for Ocean Leadership; Old Dominion University, Department of Ocean & Earth Sciences; William & Mary’s Batten School of Coastal & Marine Sciences & VIMS; VIMS’ Marine Advisory Program; Mid-Atlantic Marine Education Association; Virginia Sea Grant; Splendid Sands
National Sponsors
NASA; Schmidt Ocean Institute; Bureau of Ocean Energy Management; The Curtis & Edith Munson Foundation; National Marine Educators Association; IEEE Oceanic Engineering Society; Department of the Navy, Science & Technology; National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration