Wetlands Research Lab (WRL) is not the biggest building on campus, nor the most important; however, it is representative of the many smaller, support buildings across campus that fill out the needs of what makes up a university. WRL managed the "comings and goings" of the wetlands program's staff, students and their boats and trailers and was placed near access roads and the biology lab and classrooms (bldg. 58).

With each new building project an advisory subcommittee to the facilities planning committee visited the proposed building site to determine if there were any rare or delicate flora to be preserved. Two names prominent in this endeavor were James Dyehouse and James Burkhalter. Dr. Judy Bense reviewed archaeologically sensitive sites.

Bldg. 83,occupied in 1989, was the first facility on campus by Miller Caldwell, of Caldwell, Jernigan & Associates.

Today The Wetlands Research Laboratory (WRL), a 3500 sq. ft. facility, is an analytical arm of Center for Environmental Diagnostics and Bioremediation (CEDB) and is State of Florida Certified for environmental water analysis.

The Next Larger Picture by John E. Jarvis, Jr. Published by the University of West Florida Foundation, Inc., 2008.