Sea Lab Sidebar: Nurseries of the Sea

Estuaries are where freshwater from the rivers meets saltwaters from the ocean. Mobile Bay is the fourth largest estuary by volume in the United States. Every single second Mobile Bay empties enough water into the Gulf of America to fill 70% of an entire Olympic-sized swimming pool. The mixing of saltwater and freshwater creates a hot spot for biodiversity.

Our estuaries are economically and environmentally important for many reasons, not the least of which, they serve as a nursery habitat for many commercially and recreationally important fish and shellfish, such as oysters, shrimp, and red snapper.

JoAnn Moody, an educator in Discovery Hall Programs at DISL, is your guide on this discovery of estuaries.

Freshwater Meets Saltwater

This aerial photo of the mouth of Mobile Bay shows the delineation of freshwater and saltwater mixing. The water flowing out of Mobile Bay is brackish and carries sedimient from the Mobile-Tensaw River Delta.

National Estuaries Week

Every year in September, we celebrate our estuaries. This year, the Alabama Aquarium offers a week of adventures for you to learn more about our estuaries biodiversity.

Monday, September 21
Estuarine Inhabitants Investigation
10:30 a.m.

Explore the amazing adaptations that help our estuarine animals survive in a changing environment. Get hands-on with some of our preserved specimens and investigate the creatures that call our estuaries home.

Tuesday, September 22
Guided Boardwalk Tours
10 a.m., 11 a.m., 1 p.m., and 2 p.m.

Step onto our living marsh boardwalk and explore the world of our estuarine habitat, the salt marsh. Discover how the salt marsh supports a variety of plants and animals, and learn about the important role the estuary plays along our coast. Keep your eyes open for some of the marsh’s animal residents along the way.

Wednesday, September 23
Salt Marsh Excursion
9:45 a.m.
Registration Form

Step into the role of a marine scientist for the morning as we explore the marsh and observe its inhabitants in the wild. Keep an eye out for some of its residents, including crabs, snails, and fish. Along the way, discover how salt marshes provide essential habitat, support marine life, and protect our island.

Thursday, September 24
Oyster Dissection
11:30 a.m.

Oysters are more than what you put on a cracker; they’re hardworking members of our estuarine ecosystem. During this oyster dissection, discover how oysters eat, explore their fascinating life cycle, and see how these incredible animals help our estuaries.

Friday, September 25
Research Vessel Excursion
2:45 p.m.
Registration Form

Join a professional Dauphin Island Sea Lab Educator for a two-hour boat trip in the waters surrounding Dauphin Island. You’ll learn how estuaries, such as Mobile Bay, feed the seas. A short trawl will produce a sampling of some of these animals for you to examine, and a plankton tow will give you a look at the microscopic organisms at the base of the food chain.