Torquay will be home to an underground forest, blue stingrays and dinosaur crabs thanks to a series of new developments at Living Coasts.

According to the wildlife attraction, these changes will confirm its position as the UK's leading coastal zoo and a nationally-important discovery centre.

The familiar outdoor area, with its famous penguins, wading birds, and fur seals will remain the same but the whole of the inside is being transformed with new exhibits, new species and the "latest technology".

Among the new animals will be the poisonous blue-spotted ray, upside-down jellyfish and horseshoe crab - a prehistoric animal unchanged since the time of the dinosaurs.

The highlight of the new developments will be Britain's first major exhibit based on a mangrove swamp habitat. 'Mangroves: The Roots of the Sea' will open on Living Coasts' fifth birthday in July and feature giant aquarium tanks containing over 20 new species.

Living Coasts director Elaine Lambert said: "When you leave the upper area you will descend into a mangrove forest. The ramp will take you from the top of the canopy, filled with firefly, bat, flying fox and proboscis monkey models that will react with sound and lighting effects when people walk by, down into an underworld of roots and foliage. You will be immersed in the mangroves, exploring the swamp and discovering exotic species as you go."

Elaine Lambert, Living Coasts: "The world's coastlines are amazing. We are concentrating on mangroves because they are delicate, complex, dynamic ecosystems."

The first area to open will be a new Discovery Zone in March, which will feature an interactive magic floor, and a series of specially-created penguin computer game-stations called Penguin Academy.

Lambert said: "We wanted to make the site more interactive so that our visitors can spend longer exploring, playing and discovering new things. The new Discovery Zone uses the latest technology and will be really lively, entertaining our visitors but also helping them find out more about penguin behaviour and marine pollution."

The development will also include a major new exhibit about the local coastline and the different wildlife and habitats that can be found in the South West. Each habitat has been created with fantastic new murals by professional wildlife artist Mike Langman. A children's climbing wall will help young visitors learn how to "cling on like a limpet".

Other aspects of the development include a penguin theatre for talks and presentations, displays showing how the Living Coasts water system works, a children's water investigation area and many other improved facilities.

A new events programme has been introduced for 2008 to change the whole experience for visitors once they are at Living Coasts. Special shows, extended talks and hands-on events will be going on throughout the site every day.

Lambert added: "The world's coastlines are amazing. We are concentrating on mangroves because they are delicate, complex, dynamic ecosystems. The destruction of mangroves has been dramatic, caused by over-exploitation, human development and pollution."

Mangroves have been described as the roots of the sea. They are found in places as diverse as Bangladesh, Florida, the Philippines, Thailand, Guyana and Sri Lanka.

Living Coasts, a registered charity, has received a grant of £800,000 from the Regional Development Agency to support the work. The planned developments will continue until March 2009.

Living Coasts, which cost £7m to create, opened to the public on Monday 14th July, 2003. It's open 10am to 6pm daily.