A new exhibit celebrating the marine wildlife of South Devon is opening at Living Coasts – complete with a unique crawl-through tank.
The Local Coasts exhibit, themed to represent the underside of a seaside pier, is home to seahorses, cuttlefish and starfish. Children will be able to crawl under the tank containing starfish and anemones and see them from below. The tank, which also has a dump-bucket to make waves, is thought to be the first of its kind in the country.
The first phase of the Living Coasts development was the Mangroves – the Roots of the Sea exhibit, which opened last summer. Living Coasts Director Elaine Hayes said: “For the second phase we decided to turn our attention to our own fantastic local wildlife and bring people closer to species that are literally on their doorstep.
“We are introducing local species like starfish, cuttlefish, anemones and more. In the longer term we plan to keep UK seahorses, too.”
The waters off Devon are home to both UK seahorse species – the spiny seahorse, Hippocampus guttulatus, and the short snouted seahorse, Hippocampus hippocampus. Both were recently given protection under the Wildlife and Countryside Act to reflect their vulnerability.
Elaine said: “Surveying these creatures is difficult, but we do know that numbers have declined and we do know that they are found in the seagrass beds in Tor Bay.
“Only a small number of zoos have native seahorses. We want to make a positive contribution to native seahorse conservation by keeping these wonderful creatures and deepening our understanding of their behaviour and biology.
“Native seahorses are difficult to keep and very difficult to breed. We have agreed with the European Stud Book to develop our husbandry expertise with Australian big-bellied seahorses – Hippocampus abdominalis. Keeping these larger, more robust animals – like the native seahorses, a temperate species - will help us get our feeding and care procedures right before we introduce the native seahorses.”
Local Coasts will also feature cuttlefish – Sepia officinalis. These incredible invertebrates are best known for their cuttle bones, beloved of budgerigars and parrots. They can change colour depending on their environment and produce ink if threatened, helping them to evade predators. These fascinating creatures have cannibalistic tendencies and need careful management.
The third new element of Local Coasts is starfish. “They may not be rare, but they are your classic seaside species. Come and see our imaginative new exhibit and I guarantee you will see them in a completely different light! Children can now go underwater and stay completely dry!”
Elaine: “The work in Local Coasts has cost just £40,000, which represents excellent value for money. A lot has been done in-house. This is the time to be investing in the region’s tourist industry. We are continuing to develop Living Coasts into a diverse, all-weather attraction with excellent facilities. We now have a large indoor area that is a great place to escape the rain or the heat.”
ENDS
Philip Knowling 01803 697568
