Ocean Sciences Quiz

The Ocean Sciences Quiz (OSQ) originated at and was developed by the MIT Sea Grant College Program, to promote ocean literacy and engage students, teachers, and teams worldwide. In 2011, the National Ocean Sciences Bowl (NOSB) leadership team, from the Consortium for Ocean Leadership started working with MIT to further develop the game. A three-phase series of improvements were rolled out over late 2011 to early 2013. The first phase (single-player), second phase (two-player from the same computer) and third phase (two-player online) are now available to play!

Phase I focused on one player against the clock. Its design and functionality were specific to helping individuals increase their knowledge of the ocean sciences. Individual players can identify and select specific subject area(s) to focus on, and can also pause or stop the game at any point to check progress and comprehension of the material by reviewing the end of game summary. In addition, participants also have the ability to submit their own questions into the game’s database to help expand the game’s breadth and depth.

Phase II allowed two players to compete against each other using the same computer. Players compete against both the clock and against their “competitor” by buzzing in using the “Q” and “P” keys on a keyboard. In this phase, players are not only able to expand their ocean science knowledge, but they can practice their quick response skills for upcoming competitions. Users can also rate and flag submitted questions within the game.

Phase III was developed on a different platform allowing individuals and teams to play each other over the Internet. Players are matched on a first-come, first-served basis. If no opponent is available, a player is placed in a ‘lobby’ until another player signs on. If two teams wish to compete in a scrimmage, it is recommended that they arrange a specific time to do so.

Click here to play the OSQ!