new and better exhibits.

Minister of the Environment, the Hon. Gerald Simons recently announced the granting of the contract to reconstruct the reservoir, noting that the project represented "Government's ongoing commitment to the Aquarium''.

Since the building of the Aquarium in 1926, the facility has been Bermuda's "most popular tourist attraction and a major educational tool,'' said Mr.

Simons. Government was concerned with improving the facility's infrastructure.

The rebuilding of the reservoir is the third Government-financed project of the Aquarium Development Plan, following on from the renovation of the public toilets and the construction of a "facility-wide utilities trench.'' Mr. Jack Ward, curator of the Aquarium, said: "These water services are essential for the upgrading of the Aquarium and the continuation of the facility.'' The construction of the reservoir will enable the Aquarium to go ahead with several large-scale exhibits. The North Reef Project, a simulation of conditions on the North Reef, is one such development.

The original reservoir structure, which was in use for over 60 years, was structurally unsafe and destroyed last year. The new system will be about 100 feet long, 25 feet high and 14 feet wide. It will consist of two 32,000 gallon tanks, standing 17 feet above ground with aquarium service areas underneath.

The reservoirs will be filled with water pumped in from Harrington Sound which, by the force of gravity, will be fed into the tanks. The project, which began in the first week of June, should be completed in late September.