Deep sea thriving

Regenerate

Opening the world’s only submarium has helped Hull continue to make a living from the sea

The people of Hull have made their living from the sea for centuries but in recent times they have had to cope with increasing economic deprivation as the fishing industries sank into post-industrial decline.

“Hull had become associated with very high levels of deprivation and low aspiration. We needed something that local people could take pride in,” explains the city council’s former head of leisure Colin Brown.

That something became The Deep, a spectacular aquarium (in fact, the world’s only submarium) housed in a dramatic building jutting out of the water designed by architect Sir Terry Farrell.

Now The Deep’s chief executive, Colin says the visitor attraction has enabled the city “to continue making its living from the sea in a new way, bringing together science, sustainable fishing and tourism”.

The Deep has been a success since opening in 2002. Around 400,000 people a year visit the centre last year, helping it generate a £750,000 surplus to pump back into exhibitions, design, construction and conservation.

“The Deep has enabled Hull to continue making its living from the sea, bringing together science, sustainable fishing and tourism.” Colin Brown, chief executive, The Deep

The Deep is not only an aquarium containing over 3,500 fish including sharks and rays – it’s also a marine research centre with a global reach. It’s involved in a range of conservation and education projects across the world, including work in Sudan, the Yucatan Peninsula, the Red Sea and the Costa Rican coral reefs.

Did you know?

• Billed as ‘the world’s only submarium’, The Deep’s tanks contain thousands of sea creatures, including seven species of shark
• The tanks contain 2.5 million litres of water and 87 tonnes of salt
• The Deep is a global centre of marine research and conservation