2005-2007, Jack Sewell, Marine Aggregates Levy Sustainability Fund (MALSF), Mineral Wealth - Seabed Health at Explorocean

Mineral Wealth - Seabed Health promotes the public understanding of marine aggregate extraction and seabed organisms. It is a joint project between the Marine Biological Association (MBA), the National Marine Aquarium and Cefas (The Centre for Environment, Fisheries and Aquaculture Science). The project had two main elements: to continue to bring together and interpret information collected as a part of surveys related to aggregate extraction, and to use that information with other material to provide an interactive learning training experience based on aggregate extraction and on use of the information from surveys to identify environmental protection issues and solutions. Data access and interpretation used the experience and skills of the Marine Life Information Network (MarLIN) team at the Marine Biological Association and expand on work already undertaken with aggregate industry data. Further information, including images, acoustic survey results and monitoring studies were sought in collaboration with Centre for Environment Fisheries and Aquaculture Science (Cefas). The interactive learning experience was developed for Web pages and CD-ROM in association with the National Marine Aquarium — also providing a part of the £3.6 million ExplorOcean gallery due to be completed in December 2005. NMA exhibits now include interactive models.