A GALLERY has reopened after five weeks of refurbishments.

The Etches Collection at the Museum of Jurassic Marine Life opened its doors at 10am today, March 25.

The museum received a grant of £219,500 from the Wolfson Foundation and from the Department of Culture, Media and Sport’s Museums and Galleries Improvement Fund.

Visitors can see the museum’s famous pliosaur skull, made famous by the BBC documentary Attenborough and the Giant Sea Monster.

Bournemouth Echo: 3D printed pliosaur teeth

They can also see other fossils on display, many of which are new to science, meaning they are incredibly rare and often unique specimens.

The project has been vital for the museum and had nearly 18 months of planning.

Dr. Steve Etches MBE, founder and head of collections at the museum, said the refurbishment was: “A very exciting time for the museum.”

“Not only do we have one of the most complete pliosaur skulls in the world on permanent display, but we also now have new state-of-the-art cabinets that have given us more options for displaying the collection,” he said.

Bournemouth Echo: Dr Steve Etches with the pliosaur teeth

“We also have a greatly enhanced humidity-controlled environment for our precious specimens, significantly prolonging their display-life. Interestingly we are the only museum in the country to have such a technologically advanced set-up, so we are very proud of that.”

The museum can be found in the village of Kimmeridge.