Alabama Aquarium at the Dauphin Island Sea Lab

The Alabama Aquarium at the Dauphin Island Sea Lab, formerly known as the Estuarium, offers an immersive journey into the aquatic ecosystems of coastal Alabama. Opened in 1998, the aquarium serves as a public outreach arm of the Dauphin Island Sea Lab (DISL), Alabama's primary marine education and research center. The aquarium focuses on four key habitats: the Mobile-Tensaw River Delta, Mobile Bay, the Barrier Islands, and the Northern Gulf of Mexico. Exhibits feature over 100 species of marine life, including fish, invertebrates, reptiles, and amphibians. Visitors can explore a 10,000-square-foot exhibit hall, a 7,000-gallon stingray touch pool, and a living marsh boardwalk. Exhibits include the Mobile-Tensaw River Delta exhibit, which recreates Alabama's largest wetland with alligators, turtles, and gar. The Mobile Bay exhibit features a replica of the legs of the Middle Bay Lighthouse and houses native species like stone crabs, horseshoe crabs, and flounder. The Barrier Islands exhibit displays saltwater species like shrimp and blue crabs. The Northern Gulf of Mexico exhibit showcases marine communities with octopus, lobsters, eels, seahorses, red snapper, sharks, and jellyfish. A popular exhibit is the Rays of the Bay touch tank, where visitors can gently touch cownose rays and Atlantic stingrays. The Dauphin Island Sea Lab itself has a rich history, dating back to 1971 when it was established by the Alabama State Legislature as a marine science education and research center. The Sea Lab's facilities are located on the east end of Dauphin Island, on grounds formerly owned by the U.S. Air Force. The aquarium underwent renovations and re-opened in the summer of 2023.