19 May 2023

We are delighted to announce the opening of the newly refurbished Cool Seas gallery at The Deep, a project made possible thanks to funding from Biffa Award. An incredible £418,550 was awarded back in 2022, which has been vital in allowing us to revamp the space with some exciting and innovative new exhibits.

 

Reflecting on the refurbishment of the Cool Seas area, Ben Jones, Director of Husbandry and Exhibition at The Deep, said:

“Our Cool Seas project has given us the opportunity to try something new using a great mix of digital, physical and living exhibition. By recreating a piece of the East coast inside The Deep, we have placed a strong focus on our fantastic local landscape and biodiversity; while at the same time creating a platform on which to showcase local conservation initiatives. This has been a complicated refurbishment, but very rewarding to deliver.”

Cool Seas is now an amazing multi-purpose space. Visitors can relax in our new jellyfish room which features ambient lighting and calming music, composed by local University students who took inspiration from the jellyfish’s tranquil movements. 

Watch a wave crash into the rock pool next to our huge curved projection wall, showcasing real footage from our local coastline- Flamborough. If you are lucky, you may catch a dog running across, or even see our night time footage!

Learn about the huge variety of plankton in our seas and about how critically important they are, getting up close with our fantastic 3D plankton models.

Commenting on Cool Seas, Rachel Maidment, Biffa Award Grants Manager said: 

“Biffa Award is delighted to see this special project come to fruition. We awarded The Deep £418,550 through the Biffa Award Partnership Grants Scheme to create these important, exciting and innovative exhibits, appealing to diverse audiences of all ages, engaging as many people as possible and educating them in the regionally unique marine life. It was a pleasure to visit the array of fantastic exhibits in all their glory at the opening event!”

There is plenty more to come and see in the newly refurbished Cool Seas gallery; we look forward to welcoming new and returning visitors to this engaging and informative area. 

Notes for Editors:

Biffa Award 

Since 1997, Biffa Award has awarded grants totalling more than £189 million to thousands of worthwhile community and environmental projects across England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. The programme administers money donated by Biffa Group Ltd through the Landfill Communities Fund. www.biffa-award.org 

Landfill Communities Fund 

The Landfill Communities Fund (LCF) is an innovative tax credit scheme enabling operators (LOs) to contribute money to organisations enrolled with ENTRUST as Environmental Bodies (EBs). EBs use this funding for a wide range of community and environmental projects in the vicinity of landfill sites. LOs are able to claim a credit (currently 4.2%) against their landfill tax liability for 90% of the contributions they make. 

Since its inception in 1996, over £1.4 billion has been spent on more than 51,000 projects across the UK. For further information please visit www.entrust.org.uk or see HMRC’s general guide to landfill tax. 

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For more information, please contact Cora Hairsine, Communications & Marketing Officer, on 01482 381093 or email cora.hairsine@thedeep.co.uk