Dauphin Island Sea Lab

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Dauphin Island Sea Lab The state of Alabama's marine education and research center. The research programs of the DISL range from biogeochemistry and oceanography to ecosystem ecology.

The Dauphin Island Sea Lab's University Programs (UP) serves Alabama's 21 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. 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.

Happy International Sawfish Day! Learn more about these amazing creatures in our chat with Dr. Nicole Phillips.
10/17/2026

Happy International Sawfish Day! Learn more about these amazing creatures in our chat with Dr. Nicole Phillips.

Sawfish may be returning to Alabama waters, and new DISL Senior Marine Scientist Dr. Nicole Phillips is using eDNA to find out. Phillips, who joined DISL in August, explains what a sawfish really is, why the U.S. is the last stronghold for the smalltooth sawfish, and how a water sample can reveal an...

What’s happening in the lab? In the Valentine lab, Gunner, Anna, and Jordan are cleaning the seagrass Halodule wrightii ...
10/16/2026

What’s happening in the lab? In the Valentine lab, Gunner, Anna, and Jordan are cleaning the seagrass Halodule wrightii (aka shoal grass) for nutrient analysis for one of Dr. Charlie Martin’s projects. Botanist Dottie Byron is helping with the technique to get the samples ready.

Great costume ideas for this weekend’s event!
10/15/2026

Great costume ideas for this weekend’s event!

The forest between our buildings and the beach was flooded this morning. Of course, we took a closer look and found tadp...
10/15/2026

The forest between our buildings and the beach was flooded this morning. Of course, we took a closer look and found tadpoles and clam shrimp.

Then, when we went to the beach, and spotted tons of baby comb jellies washed up. They look like boba, but you don't want these in your coffee. Millions of larval fish are in the water with the comb jellies, so the comb jellies have plenty to eat.

We also found some mole crabs. Birds and fish eat them, and fishermen use them as bait.

Today, the Dauphin Island Sea Lab and the FDA hosted the DISL/FDA Joint Graduate Program Seminar. Now in its 15th year, ...
10/14/2026

Today, the Dauphin Island Sea Lab and the FDA hosted the DISL/FDA Joint Graduate Program Seminar. Now in its 15th year, the program has four current students and two affiliated students. To date, it has produced seven dissertations, five theses, and 19 peer-reviewed papers.

Marlee Mims opened the seminar with “Omic Insights into Decomposition: A Shrimp Story.” Her research examined microbial factors in aquacultured shrimp and their impact on decomposition.

Penny Demetriades followed with “Next Generation Molecular Microbial Source Tracking for Public Health.” She studied f***l traces and resistance from different sources at 13 sites around Mobile Bay.

Luke Matvey closed with “Investigating Campylobacter Ecology in the Marine Environment.” He focused on coastal birds and oysters at several Dauphin Island sites, examining how Campylobacter affects local water sources.

Photo1: Penny Demetriades, Luke Matvey, and Marlee Mims.
Photo 2: Kevin Calci, Ruth Carmichael, Penny Demetriades, Luke Matvey, Marlee Mims, Victoria Pruente, and Kirk Gaston.

International Sawfish Day is this Saturday. Kayla McCulloch, a PhD student in Dr. Nicole Phillips lab, highlights how th...
10/14/2026

International Sawfish Day is this Saturday. Kayla McCulloch, a PhD student in Dr. Nicole Phillips lab, highlights how they are tracking smalltooth sawfish when it’s getting harder to track with tagging.

My first experience with sawfish conservation didn’t begin in a genetics lab. As an undergraduate student, one of my first opportunities to participate in field research was volunteering for a juvenile Smalltooth sawfish tagging trip in Florida, USA. It was one of my first introductions to what st...

Great opportunity to get involved.
10/12/2026

Great opportunity to get involved.

🌊 Interested in paid training near Fort Morgan, Alabama?

Join a webinar for info!

Learn about opportunities at the nearshore demonstration platform, where responsibilities may include feeding, monitoring and harvesting.

📅 Tuesday, Oct. 27
🕛 Noon or 6 p.m.

Attend either webinar to learn about pay, requirements, responsibilities and more. Both sessions will cover the same information.

Register at https://disl.edu/events/imta-webinar

Dauphin Island Sea Lab, Gulf Coast Research Laboratory, Gulf States Marine Fisheries Commission, USM School of Ocean Science and Engineering, Stokes School of Marine and Environmental Sciences, Mississippi State University Marine Fisheries Ecology

10/07/2026

Due to the predicted storm forecast, the Sea Lab campus and the Alabama Aquarium will be closed Friday, October 9, through Sunday, October 11.

Big thank you to Theo who is a first grader at Council Traditional School for his donation to the Alabama Aquarium. Theo...
10/06/2026

Big thank you to Theo who is a first grader at Council Traditional School for his donation to the Alabama Aquarium.

Theo, who is a blue crab enthusiast, chose to donate the money he raised from his community service project to support the care of our blue crab at the Aquarium.

Thank you, Theo! We enjoyed meeting you, and our blue crab appreciates the extra snacks from your donation :)

Mobile County Public Schools

Address

101 Bienville Boulevard
Dauphin Island, AL
36528

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