The Virtual Classes listed below will be tailored for 5th-grade through 8th-grade students. To learn more and to book a class, reach out to scheduler@disl.edu.

Adaptations in coastal Alabama’s fishes 
Fishes show many adaptations to their environment.  This class explores the relationship between a fish’s habitat and its body shape, its fins, and mouth shape using a wide variety of fishes from the waters of Alabama and the Gulf of Mexico.

Sharks and Rays of the Gulf of Mexico
Sharks and rays are fascinating animals.  In this class, sharks and rays are compared and used to illustrate many aspects of animal biology, including skeletal, digestive, circulatory, excretory, and reproductive systems as well as human impacts on ocean ecosystems.  

Sea Turtles and other Gulf coast reptiles 
This class explores the biology of turtles, focusing on sea turtles but including other Gulf coast reptile species.   With a focus on conservation, it presents the impacts of marine debris, climate change, fishing bycatch, and why many species of Gulf coast turtles are endangered.

Coastal Invertebrates of Alabama 
Accounting for 97% of the Animal Kingdom, invertebrates have adapted to every habitat on planet earth from the bottom of the deep sea to the tops of mountains. In this class, students observe and learn about invertebrate biodiversity through preserved and live specimen demonstrations.

Exploring invertebrate animals through dissection 
Squid are creatures of legend, but they are a key piece to the ocean food web as predator and prey. In this class, students dissect these unusual invertebrates to see what makes them so successful in the ocean and compare their anatomy to other animals.

Estuaries and the Mobile Bay watershed 
Join us as we discover where rivers meet the sea. In this class, students learn about the importance of water to life on Earth, explore Alabama’s estuary, see some of the organisms that call it home for part or all of the year, and understand how being “upriver” impacts these downstream habitats through interactive demonstrations and activities.  

Underwater robots and other tools of ocean exploration  
With humans increasingly dependent on the ocean, marine technology has become an essential industry with applications from oil and gas exploration to the military. In this class, students explore a type of underwater robot, a Remotely Operated Vehicles (ROVs), and engage with engineering and design principles in designing and building an ROV.

Ocean waves and currents: the motion in the ocean 
What creates a wave?  Can a message in a bottle really drift around the world? Join us to investigate the physics of the ocean including waves, currents, and tides, examine real-time wave data,  and explore the technology used by scientists to measure these phenomena. The class will build models of ocean drifters and test their engineering skills by experimenting with them around their “Ocean.”

Ocean zones, sonar, and ocean mapping 
With sunlight penetrating only 1000 meters down into the ocean that AVERAGES over 4000 meters in depth, how do scientists know what the deep ocean is like? In this class, students will descend through the ocean zones from the surface to the Challenger Deep, learn how we know what we know about the deep ocean, and construct a model of ocean bathymetry.   

Marine debris and microplastics
Where does litter in the ocean come from?  Doesn’t it biodegrade? In this class, students will explore marine and waterborne debris, investigate the impacts of debris on ocean animals and ecosystems, and identify solutions to this growing problem.  Through an activity, we will identify microplastics and collect and categorize data on debris while participating in a citizen science project.

Barrier islands and beach ecology 
Many students have been to the beach, but perhaps not realized the importance of these beautiful ecosystems in protecting the mainland and providing habitats for a variety of plants and animals. This class explores microscopic and macroscopic beach inhabitants living there, the adaptations these inhabitants show to living in this constantly changing habitat, and how beaches are created and changed by natural and human forces.

Climate change and ocean impacts  
How are the earth’s systems being affected by increased carbon dioxide (CO2) amounts in the atmosphere? This class explores the relationship between increased CO2 levels and sea-level rise, ocean acidification, and climate change. We’ll demonstrate a number of short activities that model these effects and discuss ecological and community-based resilience.

Invasive species 
Let the Sea Lab “invade” your classroom with specimens and stories of invasive species.  We’ll explore a case study of the lionfish through a mapping activity and learn how invasives are introduced, what it means to be invasive versus non-native or naturalized, and how invasive species impact biodiversity, ecosystems and our economy. 

Coastal food webs
Eat or be eaten is the name of the game for survival in many ecosystems. In this class, students will see and investigate adaptations for finding and catching food and those that keep them from being food!  We will explore how matter cycles and energy flows through coastal ecosystems in a variety of coastal habitats.

Making friends and enemies – interactions among ocean organisms 
Animals in the ocean show a variety of relationships with each other. Some work together for mutual benefit, others live inside another, while others simply eat each other. In this class, students will explore mutualism, parasitism, commensalism, and predation using ocean examples.

Stinging things in the ocean – jellies and corals
Why aren’t there coral reefs in Alabama? Join us to explore one of the most diverse ecosystems on Earth, the coral reef, and understand why we don’t have reefs in Alabama.   We’ll explore how corals are related to those pesky little jellies that can sting us and investigate human impacts on these critical biomes.  

Ocean plants and their adaptations
Does sitting out in the hot sun all day sound like fun?  From the microscopic phytoplankton to the enormous kelp, this class explores the variety of adaptations seen in photosynthetic organisms found in the ocean. Students will explore the photosynthetic process and investigate ways plants work to capture sunlight and energy in a variety of ecosystems.