Dauphin Island Sea Lab Foundation

Dauphin Island Sea Lab Foundation Mission
The Dauphin Island Sea Lab Foundation supports the Dauphin Island Sea Lab in its mission, “to provide wise stewardship of the marine environment through education and research”.
The foundation provides funds to sustain the activities of the DI Sea Lab and promotes
awareness of the DI Sea Lab and environmental issues.
The Foundation is also building an endowment for the Dauphin Island Sea Lab.

The Dauphin Island Sea Lab Overview

The Dauphin Island Sea Lab (DISL) is the state of Alabama’s marine research and education center. DISL was founded in 1971 by the Alabama Legislature, to maximize the state's marine sciences capabilities and minimize program duplication at Alabama colleges and universities. Four historically black colleges and universities, both public and private, are among the twenty-two Alabama colleges and universities served by DISL. DISL was recently named the Restore Act-funded Alabama Center for Excellence by the Alabama Gulf Coast Recovery Council.

The DISL University Programs include both graduate and undergraduate courses taught throughout the academic year. This provides about two dozen courses and 1,700 credit hours for upwards of 200 students from the member institutions. DISL does not grant degrees, however, more than 250 graduate degrees have been awarded to DISL based students over the past 25 years.
The DISL Discovery Hall Programs offers a K-12 program that serves students from the entire state of Alabama. It engages classroom teachers and students in the study of marine science throughout the year resulting in more than 55,000 contact hours with over 17,000 students. Opportunities include internships, field trips, service learning, mentoring programs, camps, professional workshops, and more. The traveling BayMobile takes marine science to children in under-served schools reaching over 8000 students.
Public education is offered on campus through the public aquarium, recently named the official Aquarium of Alabama. The Alabama Aquarium focuses on the Mobile watershed, Mobile Bay, and the Gulf of Mexico introducing visitors to marine habitat and marine life through live exhibits and hands-on experiences.

The Role of the Dauphin Island Sea Lab Foundation
The Dauphin Island Sea Lab Foundation was established in 2002 to assist in developing new resources that ensure the long-term growth of the DISL. The founding trustees recognized that the availability of the State to aid the Lab in achieving its full potential is limited, and the Sea Lab must continue its role as a national leader in research, science education, and coastal policy development.