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Living
Marsh Boardwalk at Dauphin Island Sea Lab’s Estuarium Re-Open - Formerly
Destroyed During Hurricane Ivan 2004
March 7, 2006
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Media Contact: Lisa Young
251/861-7509
It’s been an almost two-year ordeal, with a few major
hurricanes intervening with the re-building process, but the Living
Marsh Boardwalk at the Dauphin Island Sea Lab, originally destroyed
during September 2004’s Hurricane Ivan, is finally open to the public.
This meandering boardwalk allows the public an up-close view of Mobile
Bay and its floral and faunal inhabitants. Pelicans, seagulls, great
blue herons, and many more coastal birds may take a leisurely morning
stroll, on the lookout for a fish breakfast. Boats and ferries pass back
and forth, and dolphins have even been spotted from the boardwalk’s
Ladner Pavilion.
“This is a wonderful place to learn about Mobile Bay and how it
functions,” notes Sea Lab K-12 Education Chair Dr. John Dindo. “We have
interpretive signage that we are in the process of replacing that
explains everything from where sand comes from, to how natural gas is
extracted from the sea floor.
“Also, if you love bird-watching, this is an ideal locale for coastal
and migratory bird spotting,” he adds.
The Living Marsh that lies underneath the boardwalk was formerly an Air
Force septic field. It was planted and nurtured as part of a research
project by then-Sea Lab faculty member Dr. Judy Stout, currently a
Mobile County Public School System Board Member.
The Boardwalk is part of the Estuarium, the public aquarium of the
Dauphin Island Sea Lab. Although the Estuarium is admission-based, the
Boardwalk is free to the public. |
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