THE new boss of the National Marine Aquarium aims to make it one of the 'foremost aquariums in Europe' after revealing the attraction is now on a sound financial footing.

Dr David Gibson said he wants to re-establish the NMA's core charitable objectives of education, research and conservation and intends to create new facilities and bring in new fish.

But he stressed the Coxside attraction would be less about 'pretty fish' and more about conservation.

Dr Gibson this month took over as managing director at the NMA following Andrew Robertson's two-and-a-half years in charge.

Dr Gibson said during that period the Aquarium's financial fortunes had been revived and he was brought in by trustees to enhance its reputation.

"My brief is about the reputation of the NMA," he said "To increase our standing within Europe with regard to education, research and conservation.

"I believe the NMA can, and will, be one of the foremost public aquariums in Europe."

Dr Gibson, who has a degree in zoology and a PhD in fish health, worked at Hull's renowned charitable aquarium The Deep for eight years and joins the NMA after working as executive director at Fota Wildlife Park, in Ireland.

He described the NMA as "a great facility, the location is superb and the potential great".

And he said: "Plymouth is a vibrant, dynamic city with the marine sciences at its core and an ideal location for an aquarium. It's a real pleasure to be here."

The NMA has had a chequered history over its 12 years, being criticised in the past for the amount of public money it swallowed.

More than £10million of taxpayers' cash was paid to it in grants, while visitor numbers tumbled.

Mr Robertson was appointed in 2007 to arrest the decline, and has now left "on good terms" after achieving what he was brought in to do on a short-term basis.

During his reign the NMA's shop and restaurant were improved and a 4D cinema installed to create income.

It has also shed more than £400,000 in operational costs in the past two years, including £75,000 a year on energy bills, and cash saved from renegotiating contracts with suppliers.

It also meant 15 jobs were lost a year ago, leaving 75 staff, including 45 full time.

And Dr Gibson said: "It was a difficult time and decisions had to be made. It was not easy.

"But the organisation is now stronger, more efficient as a result.

"We have increased profitability and efficiency.

"I'm fully aware of the pain and change its been through in the past two or three years, the organisational changes that had to occur.

"But it's a solid, viable business at the moment and positioned exactly right to grow and develop.

"We were making an operational loss, surviving purely because of the goodwill of the bank in terms of the overdraft facility.

"But we are about to complete a financial year when we are healthily in profit – the first time that's happened.

"And there is no overdraft. That's the first time ever.

"We have had a good year in terms of visitor numbers – in excess of 260,000.

"Our business plan was predicting 230,000."

That includes the NMA's record attendance when 4,500 people turned up on August 10 last year.

The upturn was partly due to the economy, with more people holidaying in the South West, the wet summer weather, in addition to work done at the aquarium.

The reduction in family membership from £90 to £40 has boosted membership from 1,800 to 15,000.

"But it is not all roses, our secondary spend is challenging," he said.

"The challenge is to exceed expectations."

And Dr Gibson says it can move forward from here.

"We will be re-writing our exhibition strategy," he said.

"There was once a coherent story following the water cycle, for various reasons that no one in the organisation now is responsible for, that was lost.

"Now the exhibition will start with shallow water animals and those represented in Plymouth Sound and take people out to the oceans of the world.

"The physical tanks will stay as they are, what will change is the story and how we tell it."

He said there would be improved signs and information and added: "Each animal will have a purpose. Very rarely will they be there because they are pretty fish.

"There will be flux. The number of species will increase."

But he insisted 'charismatic species' such as sharks and seahorses will still have a home – they need conserving too.

He is planning a 'unique' educational facility for secondary and higher students on the fifth floor, called the Flow Academy, replacing the expensive ExplorOcean flop.

And Dr Gibson said he wants to "make the business work harder".

"We are bringing in about £100,000 of corporate business each year, but having to turn away day conferences and meetings because we don't have the space," he said.

But because the boardroom is over the play area both are "compromised", so there is a plan to create "a dedicated space for 70 to 100 delegates" by converting office space at the front of the building.

"We are confident that will bring in an extra £40,000 to £45,000 in business a year," he said.

And Dr Gibson stressed the NMA would now stand as a business, not reliant on the public purse, except as the "icing on the cake".

"The educational programme is an important source of revenue," he said. "Educational grants we will continue to pursue, but they are the icing on the cake.

"We will continue to chase grant funds and sponsorship

"But we will exist as a financial business first.

"I want to make Plymouth proud of the NMA."