National Marine Aquarium - Plymouth
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The National Marine Aquarium was the first aquarium in the United Kingdom to be set up solely for the purpose of education, conservation and research. It remains Britain's foremost aquarium and in the six years it has been open it has attracted over two million visitors through its doors and thousands of enquiries by letter, telephone, fax and email. The National Marine Aquarium is now firmly established as a source of reliable and accurate information and is a regular adviser to many newspaper, magazine, radio and television projects - the BBC's 'Blue Planet' Series is perhaps the best known. With the world's oceans facing ever more threats from our activities it is important to understand the vast stretches of water that cover 70% of our planet. We exploit them for mineral, power and food - we take but we give little back, we treat the sea as a huge treasure chest that will always provide. We dump our waste from homes, industry and agriculture, and pollute the waters directly or via the rivers that feed the oceans. We regard the seas as a huge carpet under which we can sweep our unwanted rubbish - out of sight, out of mind. Marine life is becoming increasingly rareWith fishing stocks dwindling at an alarming rate, marine life becoming increasingly rare, pollution increasingly common and climate changing globally, there has never been a time when an understanding of the oceans, how they work and how we should manage them, is so critical to the survival of life on this planet. What you can learnThe exhibits at the National Marine Aquarium are set up with this in mind and we strive to improve what you can see and add to what you can learn. Each year a special exhibition is mounted, concentrating on some aspect of the aquatic environment. We have ventured into the 'World of Sharks', revealed the 'Jewels of Plymouth Sound' and delved into the world of 'Water Life'. We have recently opened a 'View Behind the Scenes - Window on Conservation' and plan an interactive investigation into the 'Life of Whales'. Standard Admission Prices Adult £14.75 Child (5-15 years old inclusive) £10.75 3 years old and under FREE Seniors Citizens £9.50 Students £11.50 Family (2 adults + 2 children) £32.00 Open Daily Winter - 10am - 5pm (1st October - 31st March) Summer - 10am - 6pm (1st April - 30th September) | |||||||||||||||||||||||