Nausicaa is one of the largest public aquariums in Europe and a national centre for marine-environment education and research in France. It is an important part of the local economy, bringing more than 600 000 visitors a year to its site in Nord-Pas-de-Calais. A project is extending and restructuring the centre to attract thousands more visitors, expand its research and breeding capacity and making it more water and energy efficient. The expansion is expected to add 250 000 visitors to Nausicaa each year, increase spending per visit and create dozens of new jobs in the centre and the region.
Nausicaa expansion boosts tourism, marine environment education in northern France
- 12 September 2019
The built area is almost doubling, from 25 500 m2 to 46 000 m2, while the volume of available tanks is expanding from 5 000 m3 to 20 000 m3. Stand-out new structures are a 9 500 m3 tank for large marine animals and a new 4D cinema for 300 spectators. Work is renovating existing display areas and the Learning Centre library and restructuring reception, educational, administrative and logistical premises.
This has economic benefits for the region. Nausicaa predicts that the expansion will increase the centre’s annual local impact from tourism and services to EUR 50 million.
Education and environment
Public education about the marine environment is at the core of these changes. Nausicaa expects around 850 000 tourists a year to visit the updated premises to learn about the natural world. It plans to develop activities such as school visits, in which about 8 000 students take part each year.
The project is working on surfaces, equipment, facilities and pools in four thematic areas. The existing ‘Mankind and Shores’ exhibition is being redesigned, while the ‘Journey on the High Seas’ group of exhibits is extending its extensive ocean and abyss display. New structures include a ‘Land of the Polar Aurora’ exhibition on polar ecosystems, with four walrus pools and penguin pond, and an ‘Images and Shows’ area housing the 4D cinema, which adds sensations to 3D viewing.
Behind the scenes, Nausicaa is extending its research activities to include four new researchers and increase short-term stays from doctoral students. In the medium term, the new facilities will allow the centre to expand its on-site breeding programme to help protect endangered species. Local environmental impacts are addressed by changes to the buildings to minimise water and energy waste.
Business and jobs boost
The centre predicts that the new attractions will encourage visitors to spend more at the centre and in local shops, restaurants and hotels, increasing from an average of EUR 50 to EUR 65 per visit.
The renovation is bringing in an estimated EUR 25 million to local businesses directly and create the equivalent of 60 full-time jobs or 87 000 working hours. Additional value to the local economy from project work is resulting in 500 fulltime jobs, with 130 extra people employed on average and 200 during the project’s final phase.
Once the expansion is complete, there will be an additional 87 jobs at Nausicaa and 4 850 hours of seasonal work.
Total investment and EU funding
Total investment for the project “Construction of the extension and restructuring of the Nausicaa center” is EUR 122 028 752, with the EU’s European Regional Development Fund and European Social Fund contributing EUR 17 000 000 through the “Nord-Pas de Calais” Operational Programme for the 2014-2020 programming period. The investment falls under the priority “Environment and resource efficiency”.