GULFPORT, Miss. (AP) — The team hired to design a waterfront aquarium visited Gulfport to discuss their plans.

The Sun Herald (http://bit.ly/1MlIu0Y ) reports four members of the design team PGAV Destinations of St. Louis were introduced to the city council Tuesday.

The team is expected to have a master plan ready by the end of January for the Mississippi Aquarium on 12 acres of land north of the Gulfport harbor.

The city of Gulfport plans an initial investment of $40 million. Over half of that money is already committed from the state. The city hopes the rest will come from the BP oil spill funding the state is receiving. Costs could exceed $100 million.

The team is designing the aquarium around the theme of the ecosystem in the Mississippi River and Gulf of Mexico.

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