Educators participating in the Climate Change workshop get an up close look at the Middle Bay Lighthouse in Mobile Bay which is one of the many MyMobileBay.com's weather stations.

Discovery Hall Programs gives educators the tools to keep connected to the changing tides of science. Professional learning workshops are held throughout the year on a variety of coastal and marine science topics. 

This summer, DHP is offering Climate Change in the Gulf of Mexico (June 17-20).  In this workshop, educators will take a detailed look at ocean acidification, sea level rise, tropicalization of northern Gulf of Mexico fish communities, methane hydrates, hurricane frequency and severity, and discuss the data supporting these areas.  Educators will hear from Dauphin Island Sea Lab scientists, spend time in the field aboard the R/V Alabama Discovery, and explore hands-on activities that educators can use with their students to communicate these concepts. This workshop is sponsored by the Mississippi-Alabama Sea Grant Consortium, and is offered at no cost to participants (other than a refundable deposit).  

DHP is also offering Restoration: What’s the Big Deal (July 8-12).  Habitat restoration was certainly occurring in the Gulf of Mexico prior to the 2010 Deepwater Horizon oil spill, but the pace of restoration activity in this area has increased with the availability of funds from associated court cases and damage assessments. In this workshop, educators will spend considerable time out and about looking at a number of habitat restoration projects, discuss the science behind restoration, and take time to explore a number of hands-on activities that can be used with students in the classroom and informal learning environments.  This workshop is also sponsored by the Mississippi-Alabama Sea Grant Consortium and is offered at no cost to participants (other than a refundable deposit).  

Similar to other fields, robotics has become an integral part of the marine industry, ocean exploration and research.  This, coupled with the integration of engineering design and practices in education curricula, led DHP to develop an underwater robot program at DISL.  This summer, DHP is offering Technology in Marine Science: ROVs (July 22-26).  In this workshop, participants will actually build a ROV from the ground up, exploring circuitry, hydrodynamics, sensors, the engineering design process and other physical science concepts.  We’ll also cruise out to the Gulf and have the opportunity to drive a research ROV and explore some fun hands-on activities and opportunities that educators can use to bring ROVs into their classrooms.  This workshop is sponsored by Marine Advanced Technology Education (MATE) program and is also offered at no cost to participants (other than a refundable deposit).  

Click here for more information on DHP’s workshops this summer, email DHPSummer@disl.edu, or call Discovery Hall Programs, 251-861-2141, 7515.  CEUs are available for all workshops and graduate credit is available (at cost) through the University of West Alabama.