Program
Ocean Science Bowl
A buzzer competition on marine science — biology, chemistry, physical & earth science, and policy.
Overview
Ocean Science Bowl (the National Ocean Sciences Bowl's Sea Lion Bowl) is a buzzer competition covering marine biology, chemistry, physical science, geology, geography, history, technology, and policy. Each match pairs two buzzer rounds around a Team Challenge Question (TCQ) worksheet round, where the team works together on written questions; final scores combine TCQ and buzzer performance. Teams field four players plus one optional alternate. Regionals run in early February, with the top team advancing to Nationals in April–May; scrimmages run the month before Regionals.
How to Participate
- Who can join
- Open to any Mission San Jose High School student, grades 9–12.
- Selection process
- General practices begin over the summer and continue until tryouts (date set each year).
- Time commitment
- Weekly practices through the season, plus scrimmages and the Regional/National tournaments.
- Practice schedule
- Currently online, Sundays 7–8 PM, with a planned move to in-person practices.
- What to study
- Buzzer training, scrimmages, and content review across marine biology, chemistry, physical/earth science, geography, history, technology, and policy — materials provided by Academic Challenge.
Notable Achievements
| Year | Competition | Placement |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 | Sea Lion Bowl (NorCal) | Champions |
| 2023-24 | Northern California Sea Lion Bowl Championship | 3rd place |
| 2022-23 | LOBSTr | 1st place |
| 2022-23 | Lynbrook Invitational (Varsity) | 1st place |
| 2022-23 | Lynbrook Invitational (JV) | 3rd place |
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Sea Lion Bowl (NorCal)
Captains
Upcoming Competitions
No upcoming competitions listed yet.