A £90,000 aquatics laboratory has opened in Maryport.

Sea Lab, a new feature at the Lake District Coast Aquarium, will give visitors the chance to observe aspects of marine life that most would never have the opportunity to see.

The lab includes a display of the life cycle of a lobster from the female laying egg onwards.

The mother and most of the full-grown lobsters will then be returned to the Solway.

There is also a huge halibut tank.

Mark Vollers, aquarium owner, said halibut has pretty much been fished out of the Solway in the past 50 years and this was a chance to see them up close.

There is also a "heads up" tank where people can get right under a tank into a glass bubble where they can view the fish from a completely different angle.

The aquaponics area provides a guide to self-sufficiency where edible plants are grown in nutrient-rich water in which fish are living. 

There is a microscope attached to a high definition television where visitors can closely observe some of the exhibits.

Mr Vollers said the aquarium, because of its size, cannot offer anything like the largest shark in the world.

He added: "But we are hoping that we will give visitors a very unusual experience here - and one that they will enjoy."

The Sea Lab opened this week and has been partially funded by the Cumbria fisheries charity, FLAG.

Meanwhile, the aquarium is now home to an American lobster. 

It was found in a lobster pot belonging to Workington fisherman, Richard Fell.

He recognised it was not a local species and took it to the aquarium. 

Mr Vollers said the lobster was common and were imported from Canada for food.

He said there was always a concern about introducing new species into an established environment because it could harm the eco-system so the lobster will now be given a permanent home at the aquarium.