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Shedd's At Home on the Great Lakes exhibit features a Sturgeon touch experience.

At Home on the Great Lakes

The Great Lakes are among the world’s most precious natural resources. This is the largest freshwater system on the planet, providing drinking water for over 40 million people. 

More than 3,500 plant and animal species — some found nowhere else on the planet — call the region home.

  • A lake sturgeon on the habitat floor at Shedd Aquarium.

    TOUCH

    Reach into the cool water to feel the armored skin of a fish little changed from the days of the dinosaurs.  

  • A marbled salamander, its skin glossy with moisture, rests contentedly on a patch of wet moss.

    LOOK

    See some of the amphibians that rely on moist habitats in local backyards, parks and forest preserves.   

  • Lamprey are snake-like invasive fish with round, suction-cup like mouths that latch on and rasp at their prey with many small, hooked teeth.

    DISCOVER

    From ravenous Asian carp to toothy sea lampreys, meet some of the non-native species posing challenges to the Great Lakes.  

We’re All at Home on the Great Lakes

These five magnificent inland lakes, collectively known as the Great Lakes, are comprised of Lake Superior, Lake Huron, Lake Michigan, Lake Erie, Lake Ontario and their connecting channels, including the St. Lawrence River

If you live in the Great Lakes basin, you’re one of the approximately 34 million people in the U.S and Canada who depend on this freshwater source for drinking water, employment and recreation. By meeting our animal neighbors and understanding the environmental issues that affect them, we can help protect the Great Lakes for wildlife and people. The Great Lakes are a prime example of how water connects us all. 

Sea lamprey

Pumpkinseed sunfish

Channel catfish