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In September 2000, she took an internship at the Tennessee Aquarium in Chattanooga for three months and volunteered 24 hrs/week with the aquarist staff. "The internship gave me excellent hands on experience and working knowledge of larger exhibits and fish, as well as introduced me to the person that helped me get this job, Dwayne Biggs," she continues.

"I have almost always known that my career would involve some type of animal. My first two jobs were working in pet stores. The first store--I took care of everything from baby parrots to reptiles and of course fish. The second store only carried fish and marine inverts--this is where I realized that I enjoyed (and was good at) keeping aquatics.

"While I was in the Zoo Science program, I was exposed to keeping birds, elephants,

Sea Turtle Release
Whether damaged by nets or caught on lines, captured sea turtles have been making their way to the aquarist staff at the Estuarium. This year, with the assistance of herpetologists Dr. Ken Marion and Dr. Thane Wibbels from the University of Alabama at Birmingham, the Sea Lab aquarist staff have cared for and released two endangered sea turtles this year. One was a rare Kemp’s Ridley; the other a juvenile loggerhead. The former was released during a research cruise with the docents (see below); the latter was taken for release at Perdido Key by Dr. Wibbels.

ExxonMobil panels
You can see them from the Ladner Pavilion on the Boardwalk, but what do you really know about the gas platforms that stud Mobile Bay? Now you can find out more, with the new display panel sponsored by ExxonMobil in the Pavilion. This graphic panel, designed by Robert Dixon, gives the reader insight into how and why gas is such a rich source of natural energy in the Bay. Two other display panels will be mounted on the Mobile Bay Ferry and at Fort Morgan.

With its 4"x6" aperture and 400x magnification, the ViewScope in the Estuarium is a wonderful addition to our educational activities. Take a look at the different types of plankton we have available on slides, and marvel at how such tiny plants and animals play such a big role in the food web.

Thanks to Dr. Richard Aronson, who recently presented a lecture to the docent program on "Coral Reefs in Crisis" in the Estuarium.

The docents also participated in a research cruise in the Gulf of Mexico aboard the A.E Verrill. They viewed first hand a turtle release of a rare Kemp’s Ridley.

We couldn’t do without these wonderful, knowledgeable volunteers! If you’re interested in becoming a docent, please contact Ms. Denise Keaton at 251/861-7515 or e-mail her at dkeaton@disl.org.

Vital Link
Collecting marine specimens, learning about water quality, releasing sea turtles--is this what being an aquarist is all about? Six seventh-grade students from Alba Middle School found out just what it takes to take care of the animals in the Sea Lab’s Estuarium as