Shedd Aquarium

If you were to come to Shedd Aquarium, you would get an up-close look at some of the aquatic animals that are at home in the Great Lakes region, including lake sturgeons, river otters, and the largest salamander in North America. You could also visit the Amazon River, Caribbean reefs, Arctic ice flows, and the open ocean. Altogether, Shedd Aquarium is home to 1,500 species of fish, mammals, birds, snakes, amphibians, and insects, making it one of the largest and most diverse aquariums in the world.

Outside the aquarium, southern Lake Michigan's biological diversity is getting a boost from rocks lining the shoreline. These rocks, known as riprap, are primarily designed to deflect waves and protect the sea wall, but they also double as a habitat for fish, invertebrates, and even bacteria that prefer rocky shores.