Portrush Coastal Zone
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The Coastal Zone (formerly Portrush Countryside Centre) was once the Bath House providing hot salt-water baths. It was refurbished and opened to the public in 1977, providing a modern exhibition area and facilities. The current exhibition 'Time and Tides' tells the story of how the rich marine environment and natural coastal processes of the Northern Ireland coast have influenced, and continue to influence, past, present and future human activities - from fishing to tourism - and how it itself is now under threat from modern day pressures. The story is told through a collection of interactive exhibits, combining local natural history, human involvement and associated coastal activities. Beside the centre is Portrush Nature Reserve, a small area of seashore rock that has helped us understand the way in which the earth was formed. This earth science site is of historic importance to geologists and contains numerous imprints of fossil ammonites. Rockpools are visible at low tide and visitors have the opportunity to explore these mini-ecosystems and investigate the diversity of life to be found there. Facilities The Coastal Zone provides: * Marine and coastal exhibition * Information Centre * An indoor rockpool teeming with seashore life * 2 large fish tanks * Children's activity area and library * Model painting * Audio-visual marine life films * Small gift shop * Manned viewing platform with telescope * Toilets * Adjacent car/bus parking * Access at street level * Parking for 8 cycles along the wall at the back of the centre. (for a map and further details for cyclists visit the National Cycle Network website) | |||||||||||||||||||