Alabama's Dauphin Island Sea Lab (DISL) will offer a twelve-week, fall semester, research experience for seven undergraduate students interested in pursuing careers in the marine sciences. Located on Dauphin Island in the northeastern Gulf of Mexico south of Mobile, Alabama, the DISL provides courses and research facilities for undergraduate students, graduate students and faculty from 22 colleges and universities in Alabama and visitors from throughout the U.S. The setting also permits students transfer research knowledge to K-12 students and the public through the Discovery Hall Programs at the lab. Participants in the undergraduate research program will design, implement and report on independent laboratory and research projects within an active research and education program. Students will be matched with appropriate faculty who will guide student in their research projects. Research areas include, for example: the ecology of early life history stages of! marine and estuarine fishes; coral reef ecology; the role of microorganisms in cycling of organic and inorganic matter in the marine environment; phytoplankton and zooplankton ecology; the evolution of benthic communities; the role of biomechanics and hydrodynamics in the ecology and evolution of benthic communities; and plant-animal interactions in seagrass ecosystems. The program seeks to attract and retain talented students in the sciences by providing exposure to, and interaction with, strong role models in a robust academic and research setting.
