You can once again get up close to some of Alabama’s native marine wildlife at  the renovated Alabama Aquarium at the Dauphin Island Sea Lab.

The research aquarium opened its doors again on Monday after being closed for renovations closed since early May.

Besides the more evident aesthetic improvements, the 12,000-square-foot facility was also updated with writings and graphics from findings of more  recent research conducted through the Sea Lab. Housing more than 100 species of marine wildlife from Alabama’s four major coastal ecosystems —  the Mobile Tensaw River Delta, Mobile Bay, barrier islands and the northern Gulf of Mexico — the aquarium’s focus is still education, but Mendel Graeber, a 16-year aquarium educator at the Sea Lab, said the renovations are not short on excitement.

“We certainly consider ourselves an educational facility. Creating that sense of wonder and awe is very important to sustaining someone’s interest in learning more.”

The Alabama Aquarium at the Dauphin Island Sea Lab is open daily from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. For more information, visit www.disl.edu.