The DHARMA Initiative built a series of Stations on the Island and at least one off-Island in Los Angeles. The different stations had different purposes. Some stations were for research into various scientific subjects but other stations provided communications infrastructure. According to the Sri Lanka Video, they were created to help scientists "save the world as we know it" via research in various fields such as zoology and psychology. The stations have power and running water. Each facility had its own, octagon-shaped logo.
After the Purge, the Others began using some of the stations for their own purposes while others were left abandoned.
Though the stations had been abandoned for a number of years, all of them still had power and light. Some were shown to still have running water and resupply airdrops were still occurring at the Swan in 2004.
Found By:Ben acquired possession of the tape sometime after Hurley became protector of the Island
Further Information: The Hydra was the name of a zoological DHARMA Initiative station. It included an underwater aquarium section, a number of animal cages above ground, and multiple large above-ground buildings. In the past, it held animals such as sharks, dolphins, and polar bears for experimental purposes. The Others controlled the station and did unspecified work at the location. The station was on a small island off the coast of the the main Island.
Further Information: The Arrow station was once one of the DHARMA initiative research stations referred to in the Swan Orientation Film. In 2004, the station was largely empty except for several boxes, one containing a glass eye and copies of the Bible.
Its name and symbol were noted on the blast door map. As in the Swan station "QUARANTINE" was written on the inside of the door. The station still had power and light, operated by some kind of switchbox. No Arrow-specific Orientation Film was found, but an aborted take was shown being filmed.
According to its orientation film, the Swan was originally a laboratory "where scientists could work to understand the unique electromagnetic fluctuations emanating from this sector of the Island". However, after an "Incident", a protocol had to be followed in which two people would take shifts pressing a button (inputting the Numbers into a Computer) every 108 minutes for 540 days, at the end of which time replacements would arrive to take the place of the previous inhabitants. It was located in the southern region of the Island, about a mile inland of the crash of Flight 815. There was a fail safe switch, whose function if activated still remains mysterious. The switch was activated and the station imploded following the discharge. ("Live Together, Die Alone, Part 2")
Further Information: The Flame was the name of a DHARMA initiative communications station. Its name and symbol were depicted on the blast door map, but the location was described as "alleged".
The station itself existed in three parts. The outside was a paddock for cows; inside was a living area, some storage, and a computer room. Underneath a rug was a door to a lower hatch area. This hatch contained DHARMA paperwork and more storage.
The Flame was also rigged with a self-destruct feature consisting of C-4 explosive wired throughout the lower level. When Locke entered the code "77" into the Flame's computer, the self-destruct sequence was initiated and the Flame exploded soon after Kate and Locke left. ("Enter 77")
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Further Information: The Pearl was a DHARMA Initiative station and was first discovered by Nikki and Paulo and later by Locke and Mr. Eko. The task of this station, according to its Orientation video, was to monitor the Swan station and other stations via a Remote Viewing system. The orientation video also stated that the inhabitants of the Swan station were unknowingly part of a psychological experiment and the Pearl's occupants were to record their every behavior. However it is presumed the work the Pearl staff was conducting was in fact the real psychological experiment, since the notebooks they were asked to fill ended up at a dump. ("?") DHARMA Initiative staff members delivered food and supplies to the Pearl from time to time. ("The Man Behind the Curtain").
There was also a hidden camera present in the Pearl, indicating they and not the Swan residents were the subject of the experiment. The station consisted of a corridor with an octagonal tunnel leading down by ladder to the outside and one large, octagonal room, in which nine television sets were fed live surveillance pictures. There appeared to be damage to this station: missing panels in the roof, loose wires, boulder in room. There were no living quarters for the Pearl's personnel, as they only served in eight-hour shifts. However, there was a still-working toilet in a room placed left in the station. ("The Cost of Living") This station was the place where Mikhail Bakunin first appeared.
Further Information: It had a greenhouse on the surface, which had a secret elevator that led down to a short corridor with several doors. At the end of the corridor was a large room that housed the Vault (the time machine). Behind the wall of the vault was a dark and low ceilinged lava stone tunnel which led to a frozen cave with a large wheel sticking out of part of the ice wall, which was covered with icicles.
Further Information: The Staff was a DHARMA Initiative station. It appeared to be a medical station. Claire was taken here after being abducted by Ethan. ("Maternity Leave") Presumably, the fully operational staff was preparing her for a forced birthing, to deliver Aaron into the clutches of the Others. After her escape (assisted by Alex), the station was abandoned. The station was later revisited by Claire, along with Kate and Rousseau. ("Maternity Leave")
According to the station's position in the blast door map, it appeared to be located in the western portion of the Island. No Staff-specific Orientation Film was found, and unlike the Swan and the Arrow stations, there was no "Quarantine" warning on any of the doors of the station.
Further Information: The Looking Glass was an underwater station with a moon pool and signal jamming equipment. It was connected to the mainland via a Cable. Ben Linus told The Others that the station was flooded but this was untrue. Two Others were stationed at the Looking Glass in secret by Ben as guards. At the end of Season 3, the Others had lost control of the station and it was partially flooded.
Further Information:Charlotte informed Juliet that she and Daniel went there to disable the station for fear that Ben might try to "use" it again. Charlotte may have been alluding to the fact that Ben had used this station to initiate the Purge that killed all of the DHARMA Initiative members and that he would do the same to everyone currently on the Island.("The Other Woman")
Further Information:Eloise Hawking revealed that this station was how the Dharma Initiative discovered the Island.("316") It was the first station built by the Initiative, according to the Lost Encylopedia.
There is likely a meteorology station, considering one of the Initiative's main subjects of study was meteorology. The blast door map theorized a possible location, and the Lost Encyclopedia speculates that either one existed or was never finished.
It is possible that the "Sri Lanka Video" logo is linked to a station. The design could possibly link it to the theorized meteorology station.
According to the blast door map, a cryptography research/listening station may also have existed.
A parapsychology station also likely existed as it was also one of the Initiative's main subjects of study.
Two stations, drawn with dotted lines on the blast door map, were labeled with "C3?" and "C4?". It is unknown if they refer to known or unknown stations.
Elsewhere on the map, the text "Alleged location of aborted #7. Large number of underground springs, heavy water table" appeared.
It is believed that a power station may have existed somewhere on the Island which likely would have housed geothermal turbines to power all the other facilities.
"The Door" was presumed to be the entrance to another station, but when it was opened by Sayid, there was a wall of rock. It seems "the Door" was part of an elaborate hoax constructed by the Others. However it is unknown if they made up the logo for the Door or took it from another station.
"The Wrench" was the supposed place where Juliet worked for three years when she was on the island in 1977 with Jin and Sawyer.
