New zoo aquarium finally finished

Bristol Zoo's aquarium is home to more than 70 species of fish

Staff at Bristol Zoo Gardens have just finished the whale-sized task of revamping the zoo's aquarium.

It includes an underwater-themed mural by artist Emily Trotter, a huge replica shark's jaw, replica giant clams and an interactive children's play area.

The re-vamp also sees long snouted seahorses back on display in a specially created tropical marine tank.

The makeover aims to promote greater awareness of the sustainability challenges facing the world's oceans.

The aquarium re-launch project was made possible following funding from the Bristol-based Project AWARE Foundation - a non profit organisation working with divers and water enthusiasts to conserve underwater environments through education, advocacy and action.

It has been hard work for the zoo, as seahorses are difficult to breed

Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd also helped to fund the project.

Jo Gipps, director of Bristol Zoo Gardens, said: "We are committed to measuring and reducing our environmental impact, as well as encouraging our visitors to do so.

"We are very pleased, therefore, to have the strands coming together for our impact on the marine environment: visitor interpretation as well as visitor catering."

Bristol Zoo's aquarium is home to more than 70 species of fish, from a wide variety of tropical and temperate, freshwater and marine habitats including the porcupine pufferfish, red-bellied piranha and the giant gourami.