DISL Breaks Ground On Dorm Facility

 The Dauphin Island Sea Lab (DISL) recently broke ground on a new facility intended to make the lab’s educational programs accessible to more students from all across Alabama and beyond, AL.com reported. The planned new dormitory improves DISL’s lodging situation that has been a bottleneck for years. The campus was built as a U.S. Air Force radar base and became the Sea Lab’s home in 1972. Many of its facilities date back to that era, and some cannot be dormitories due to hurricane damage. The total cost is expected to be $14 million for the two-story building. It will have approximately 15,000 ft² on the first floor, which is expected to accommodate 63 people. The second floor will provide two-bedroom apartments to house another 36 students. In addition to relieving on-site housing pressure, particularly for graduate students, DISL says the new dorm “will give DISL avenues for revenues such as hosting scientific meetings” and may also accommodate faculty who teach summer sessions, interns and scientists visiting the area for their research.