Ft. Pierce Central High School participated in the National Ocean Sciences Bowl (NOSB) Regional Manatee Bowl Competition on March 27, 2021, coached by Steven Shotola and Retta Rohm. Overall, the two Ft. Pierce Central teams placed 5th and 7th in this year’s Florida Manatee Bowl hosted by Harbor Branch. While this year’s regional competition was virtual due to COVID-19, last year’s competition was hosted by University of Miami Rosenstiel School of Marine and Atmospheric Science in Febuary 2020 and the students competed head-to-head.
Ft. Pierce Central has a long-standing history of participating in NOSB. Central’s Head Coach, Steve Shotola, holds the longest standing consecutive coaching title out of all coaches that participate in Manatee Bowl. In 2016, Ft. Pierce Central won the Manatee Bowl Regional Championship and attended the National Competition.
The NOSB is an academic competition and program that introduces and engages high school students in ocean science, preparing them for ocean science-related and other STEM careers. Ocean Bowl was created by the National Consortium for Ocean Leadership to educate future scientists, policy makers, educators, explorers, technicians and environmental advocates. The competition challenges students to answer buzzer-style questions, multiple-choice questions and open-ended team challenge questions focused on ocean science. If you enjoy the excitement and challenge of jeopardy, and you love the learning about the ocean, NOSB is for you! -Retta Rohm
Ft. Pierce Central Ocean Bowl Teams and Coaches 2021. From left to right: Steve Shotola (Team A Coach), Johnny Huynh (Team B Captain), Rick Phanor, Savanah Kendrick, Hailee Belcher, Kate Casey, Samantha Plambech, Rafael Dela Cruz, Lorika Chery (Team B Captain), Marion Bean and Retta Rohm (Team B Coach).
