NAUSICAÄ is France's premier centre devoted to discovering the marine world, and to raising public awareness of the need to live in harmony with the sea. The Centre welcomes almost 650,000 visitors each year and is among the top ten tourist and cultural attractions in France. NAUSICAÄ has attracted more than 10 million visitors since it opened in May 1991. Its aquariums are home to more than 35,000 fish and other marine creatures, ranging from microscopic plankton to large sharks. Representing all the major seas of the world, these aquariums are impressively presented in a state-of-the-art environment. The Centre also includes boutiques, bars, and a bookshop. Nothing is on sale that harms marine life or the broader environment. NAUSICAÄ is more than a successful tourist attraction. It is also a breeding establishment and nursery, a hospital where sickly animals can be cared for, a cultural forum, and a research base with its own multi-media centre and team of experienced scientists. It also has an imaginative educational role. NAUSICAÄ is dedicated to environmental concerns, raising public awareness about the need to act responsibly towards the world's seas if their resources and beauty are to be maintained.