Tina Miller-Way
Dauphin Island Sea Lab
Back to Projects
Status: Past
Type:
Focus Area(s):
Project Leaders
Project Date Range: 02-01-2022 to 01-31-2025
Keywords: STEM, ROVs, competitions, MATE, SeaPerch
Objectives
To host regional competitions for student-focused programs focusing on general ocean knowledge and remotely operated vehicles. ROV competitions offer 5th-12th grade students the opportunity to explore investigate the field of marine technology further develop or learn new skills network with other interested students increase their awareness of STEM careers and have fun learning while increasing environmental ocean and Gulf of Mexico literacy. Knowledge-based competitions directly increase student knowledge about a wide variety of ocean issues resulting in increased environmental and ocean literacy.
Methodology
The Marine Education Center hosts the Hurricane Bowl the regional competition for the National Ocean Sciences Bowl (NOSB) attracting teams from Louisiana Mississippi Alabama and the Florida Panhandle. The NOSB is a high school science competition that uses a quiz format that challenges high school students on their knowledge of oceanography and marine science. Discovery Hall Programs is the regional site for 2 different remotely operated vehicles (ROV) competitions the Marine Advanced Technology Education (MATE) program’s ROV international competition (https://materovcompetition.org) and the SeaPerch ROV international competition program (http://www.seaperch.org). For the MATE competition teams of middle and high school students design and build ROVs prior to the competition. During the point-based competition they fly their ROVs through a series of missions give an oral presentation and produce a technical document highlighting the features of their ROV. The SeaPerch ROV platform does not offer as many opportunities for design input as the MATE platform and therefore it serves as a great entry into the field of ROV design and construction for younger students.
Rationale
Two of the 3 MASGC educational facilities offer student-focused competitions in areas relating to environmental and ocean literacy. Extracurricular activities offer P-12 students the opportunity to explore a specific area of science in greater detail than possible in many classrooms or field programs. Many student-focused competitions have been demonstrated to encourage student interest in STEM awareness of careers in STEM fields and essential skills such as teamwork and communication. Knowledge-based competitions directly increase student knowledge about a wide variety of ocean while ROV competitions offer students the opportunity to explore investigate the field of marine technology further develop or learn new skills design and build things network with other interested students increase their awareness of STEM careers and have fun.