The Laboratory on the Hoe

The Laboratory on the Hoe. . , The Aquarium of the Marine Biological Association , Until 1998, the ground floor of the Citadel Hill Laboratory was the Plymouth Aquarium. Seawater was pumped to the Aquarium from the Laboratory's underground reservoirs by gas engines. In more recent years an electric pump system was used with a gravity return and filter to remove sediment from the water. Initially, the Aquarium was open to the public without charge. However, as the facilities improved and expanded, a small fee became payable for admission. Interestingly, this did not apply to fishermen who could enjoy access for free. The MBA Aquarium closed in 1998 when the National Marine Aquarium opened in the nearby Coxside area of Plymouth. , The Plymouth Blitz , Plymouth was hit badly during the Second World War. At first, the Laboratory escaped bombardment, but on 20 and 21 March 1941 the building was struck by a series of bombs which caused extensive damage. For the remainder of the war little research could be carried out at Citadel Hill. After the war ended in 1945, a twenty-year programme of rebuilding and expansion began. , ( photo captions ) , Above: Front cover of the 1972 Aquarium Guide Book Left: Inside the Aquarium, 30 june 1959. Pictured are Miss G. Grondier and Mss S. Roberts. The damage caused to the east end of the Laboratory during the Plymouth Blitz, March 1941. , “Promoting marine scientific excellence and representing the marine biological community since 1884.” www.mba.ac.uk