Dauphin Island Sea Lab

The Dauphin Island Sea Lab's University Programs (UP) serves Alabama's 22 four-year colleges and universities through summer college courses and graduate programs. Discovery Hall Programs (DHP) encompasses K-12 field programs, teacher-training, and public engagement.

The BayMobile, DISL's traveling classroom, allows Sea Lab educators to bring marine science lessons to schools all across the state.

The Estuarium, the public aquarium of the DISL, focuses solely on the Mobile-Tensaw Estuary System, and offers a variety of hands on exhibits including the Rays of the Bay Tank, creature table, and and touch tank.

The research programs of the DISL range from biogeochemistry and oceanography to ecosystem ecology. Most of our research focuses on the near-shore and estuarine processes of the northern Gulf of Mexico, however, field sites of our internationally-renowned faculty also include Mexico, Australia, and Croatia and other countries.

DISL offers state and local government, industry and agency decision makers a range of coastal zone management services. One of key contributors to coastal zone management is the Mobile Bay National Estuary Program, which falls within the DISL’s numerous programs.

DISL is also the home of a nationally acclaimed data management center.

The Dauphin Island Sea Lab’s Executive Director is Dr. John Valentine.