The Dauphin Island Sea Lab, located on a barrier island in the Gulf of Mexico, offers one of the most extensive and renowned summer marine science programs in the nation. With programs for everyone from graduate students to K-12 teachers to middle school students, the Sea Lab combines excellence in education with an ideal location for studying and experiencing marine life.

Children Ages 5-8 - Oceans Alive! Make exploring the beach with your children a rewarding educational experience. Fun classroom activities are combined with an eye-opening beach excursion!  These half-day camps are held from 1:00 pm until 4:30 pm and are limited; admissions are taken on a first-come, first-serve basis. Parents/guardians are required to attend, must be 18 years of age and may bring no more than 3 children.  Cost: $35 per student.  Includes T-shirt, Estuarium pass, snack and certificate.  Dates: May 28, May 29, June 5 or July 24, 2009.

Children Ages 9-11 - Treasure Island. High-tech meets history at the Dauphin Island Sea Lab!  Kids ages 9-11 are invited to join us for a treasure hunt on the sandy beaches of Dauphin Island.  We’ll use Global Positioning System technology to hunt for buried treasure while learning about the history and ecology of the Island.  This half-day adventure will take place from 1:00 to 4:30pm; an adult must accompany child. Cost: $35 per student.  Includes T-shirt, Estuarium pass, snack and certificate.   Dates: May 27 & July 31, 2009.

Middle School Students – Gulf Island Journey. Join the Sea Lab team for beach scavenger hunts, ghost crab crawls, marsh mushing and collection trips aboard our research vessel A.E. Verrill.  The group will visit a historic civil war fort and travel to another small island off the coast of Dauphin Island to see nesting sea birds and collect shells.  This exciting and educational residential program instills a basic understanding of marine science with lots of hands-on activities.  There are only 30 slots for each one-week program so sign up early.  Designed for rising 7th, 8th & 9th grade students.  Cost: $550, includes tuition, room, meals and lab fees. Dates: Dates: June 14 - 19; July 5 - 10; July 12 - 17; July 19 - 24; or July 26 - 31, 2009.  Application deadline: May 11, 2009.

High School Students – An intensive summer course introducing the student to the marine environment through classroom lecture, laboratory, and field activities is available to 9-11 grade students.  The length of the course is four weeks, during which time the students live on campus and participate in over 160 hours of supervised academic activities.  Classes are taught in an academic setting and are designed to give the student a better understanding and appreciation of the various fields in marine science. The Alabama State Department of Education approves the Discovery Hall Summer Programs and recommends that local systems grant participating students credit toward either an Advanced or Standard High School Diploma.  Cost: $2050. Dates: May 31 - June 26, 2009. Application deadline: April 10, 2009

K-12 Educators – A variety of exciting courses is available to all teachers throughout the summer.  Whether the topic is Sharks and Rays or the Delta, teachers will be able to bring the oceans back into the classrooms.  Educators will be able to collect specimens for their classes, as well as receive an extensive teaching curriculum. Graduate semester hours are available for all courses.

• The Delta –May 31 – June 4; $550, including meals and housing (deadline for registration May 15).
• Coastal Connections – July 6 – 10; $425, including meals and housing (deadline for registration May 15).
• Sharks and Rays - July 20 – 24; $470, including DISL meals (4 are on your own) and housing  (deadline for registration May 15).
  Special for Alabama Educators!  The Sea Lab will be offering FREE teacher workshops this summer, especially for Alabama educators.  Availability is limited, so please check on this right away:

• Marine Applications of Science and Technology (MAST) - June 7-12 and July 12 - 17, 2009 (deadline June 5).  Includes a GPS unit for classroom use.  Applicant should be an Alabama math or science teacher for grades 6-12.  Funded by the Alabama State Department of Education, No Child Left Behind Act of 2001.
• Centers for Ocean Sciences Education Excellence: Central Gulf of Mexico (COSEE: CGOM) - June 21 - 26, 2009 (deadline May 31). COSEE:CGOM establishes a working partnership between marine and ocean scientists and teachers, giving each the opportunity to share information and ideas about scientific research and science education. Educators will receive a wealth of ocean sciences education materials, instruction, and a stipend for each participant. Applicant should be an Alabama, Florida, Mississippi, Louisiana, or Texas teacher for 5th - 9th grade science. Funded by the National Science Foundation and the U.S. Navy.

College and Graduate Students - University Programs of the Sea Lab offers 20 courses for credit for undergraduates and graduate students during the summer, ranging from Biology of Marine Turtles to Hurricanes of the Gulf Coast to Marine Invertebrate Zoology.  Courses in this intense program will be offered from May to August; individualized directed research opportunities with resident faculty are also available. Sessions will run May 18-May 29; June 1 – July 3; and July 6-August 7.

General Public – Be sure to visit the Estuarium, the aquarium of the Dauphin Island Sea Lab, for an exciting look at the animals and habitats of the Mobile Bay estuary.  The Estuarium is a cool place to be on a hot summer day!  Open seven days a week. For more information: 866-403-4409 or visit.www.sealabestuarium.org.

For those looking for a great family outing combined with an Estuarium experience, join one of our Summer Excursion Programs.  We offer trips to the biologically rich Dauphin Island Salt Marsh (June 23 and July 13) and a fascinating tour of the Island’s Beach, Dune and Forest habitats (June 9 and July 20).

For more information on any of these programs, go to the Dauphin Island Sea Lab web site at www.disl.org, or call (251) 861-2141.