The Dauphin Island Sea Lab's (DISL) mission is to become a center for transformative U.S. oceanic and coastal research and education.. Founded in 1971 by the State of Alabama Legislature to maximize the marine sciences capabilities of several Alabama institutions and minimize duplication.
Located on the eastern tip of Dauphin Island, a barrier island in the northern Gulf of Mexico, DISL is surrounded by Mobile Bay, the Mississippi Sound, and the waters of the Gulf, making it a perfect location to conduct a wide range of marine science activities.
The University Programs (UP) serves the students of the Marine Environmental Sciences Consortium’s (MESC) 22 public and private four-year colleges and universities through graduate and undergraduate programs. Throughout the year, graduate students conduct research and attend classes while completing their degree under the mentorship of faculty and staff at the Dauphin Island Sea Lab.
The Discovery Hall Programs (DHP) oversees educational programs for K-12 field programs, teacher training, and community outreach opportunities. The Estuarium, our public aquarium located on the Dauphin Island Sea Lab campus, is a part of DHP's educational outreach mission. The Alabama Aquarium focuses solely on the Mobile-Tensaw Estuary System. The BayMobile allows DHP educators to bring marine science to students across Alabama in the classroom and at community events.
Research programs at the Dauphin Island Sea Lab range from biogeochemistry and oceanography to ecosystem ecology. While much of our research focuses on the near-shore and estuarine processes of the northern Gulf of Mexico, field sites of our internationally-renowned faculty also include the Arctic, Mexico, Australia, and other countries.
The Dauphin Island Sea Lab also offers state and local government, industry, and agency decision-makers a range of coastal zone management services, including access to the nationally acclaimed data management center. Armed with data through the DISL data management center, entities can make well-informed decisions and sound policies while considering environmental impact. Another key contributor to successful coastal zone management is the Mobile Bay National Estuary Program, which falls within the services of DISL.
DISL Non-Discriminatory Policy
The Marine Environmental Science Consortium /Dauphin Island Sea Lab (MESC/DISL) acknowledges its ethical and statutory responsibility to afford equal treatment and equal opportunity to all persons and thus complies with all applicable laws and directives regarding non-discrimination and equality of opportunity. As required by Title VI, Title IX, Section 504 and all other applicable federal and state laws, MESC/DISL does not discriminate and prohibits discrimination and harassment against faculty, employees, students, volunteers, and applicants based on race, ethnicity, color, national origin, sex, pregnancy, sexual orientation, gender identity and gender expression, religion, age, genetic information, mental or physical disability, protected veteran status, or any other applicable legally protected basis. MESC/DISL does reserve the right to make changes in course offerings, curricula, academic policies, scholarships, tuition and fee schedules, and other rules and regulations affecting students in order to correct errors, omissions, inconsistencies or changes required by regulatory, accrediting and/or other governing bodies as necessary. Date of effectiveness and interpretation of said rules, regulations, and policies are within the sole discretion of the MESC/DISL. These changes will apply to students who are enrolled at the time of the change, as well as those who will become enrolled in the future.
