Each site has a staff member as the primary coordinator for the region. The regional coordinators are trained by CORE staff on how to organize and administer the regional competition. These volunteers serve as moderators, scientific judges, rules judges, timers and scorekeepers. Each regional bowl coordinator is responsible for raising local funds to cover such costs as program printing and reproduction, meals and snacks for the program competitors, and trophies or similar awards for the winning regional teams. The CORE institutions hosting a regional competition define the geographic area included in their competition, and invite schools located in those regions.
Schools participating in the regional bowl pay their own expenses to the regional competition.
The Technical Advisory Panel is composed of approximately 15 ocean scientists, university-level educators and high school teachers to provide overall guidance and advice to the development of the National Ocean Sciences Bowl. Specifically, the panel provides technical oversight on changes to the competition format and the preparation of competition questions. The panel meets twice in Washington, DC, between September and January of a given school year. A Resources Guide is used to direct interested students and their teachers to key information and materials on ocean research and related topics. Approximately 3000 questions are prepared for the competitions.