Thanks to a grant from the Mississippi-Alabama Sea Grant Consortium, the Estuarium now has a new Marine Debris exhibit along the Living Marsh Boardwalk.

With its Marine Debris Timeline, visitors can see just how long discarded plastic bottle caps and aluminum cans last until they disintegrate. As the fourth largest estuary system in North America, the Mobile Estuary is particularly sensitive to issues of marine debris, since the watershed that cover so much of the state drains in our local waters.

A recent visitor was so impressed with the display that she declared her intention to always pick up trash, even if it wasn't hers, on every trip to the beach. That is exactly what DISL educators encourage their field trips to do.

Another display can be seen in the Butterfly Gardens in front of the DISL's cafeteria. Dedicated to the memory of Ms. Sandy Ottman, a Huntsville educator from Monte Sano Elementary, the Butterfly exhibit offers butterfly facts and information on the species often found in our gardens. Dauphin Island is a resting spot for many migratory butterflies on their way to Mexico, and the landscape gardeners make sure to stockpile the plants that these winged ones love.

Visitors peruse the new Marine Debris Exhibit.