Chicago’s Forgotten ‘Coral Reef’
@ Chicago Maritime Museum
1200 W 35th St, Chicago, IL 60609
Opening Friday, January 19th, from 7PM - 10PM
Join us on Friday, January 19 when Dr. Phil Willink from the Shedd Aquarium will discuss biodiversity of Lake Michigan as seen through the Morgan Shoal.
The shoal is a rocky outcrop in Lake Michigan located a couple hundred meters from the shoreline east of 48th Street in the Kenwood neighborhood, Chicago. The outcrop is dolomite bedrock in roughly 4 to 20 feet of water. It is the site of the Silver Spray shipwreck, part of which is often visible above water. A complex habitat heterogeneity, combined with a solid foundation that does not get washed away by Lake Michigan, is the basis of the Morgan Shoal ecosystem. Proximity to shore, seasonal water temperature, and other abiotic attributes influence Morgan Shoal biodiversity.
Philip Willink, Ph.D., has been exploring the Morgan Shoal for years. He is the Senior Research Biologist in the Daniel P. Haerther Center for Conservation and Research of the John G. Shedd Aquarium. He has traveled around the world to study fishes, including such places as Bolivia, Brasil, Guatemala, Guyana, Jamaica, Madagascar, Mexico, Papua New Guinea, Peru, Suriname, United States (including Great Lakes and Chicago Region), and Venezuela.
The Open House is from 7 to 10 p.m on Friday, January 19. Presentation begins at 7:30 p.m. The museum is located at 1200 W. 35th, inside the Bridgeport Art Center. Parking is free on the north side of the building. Museum entrance is free on Third Fridays, but the presentation is $5 for members and $10 for non-members at the door.
The Operating Board of CMM will continue supporting Third Friday Open House with a light food and beverage table.
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Tags: Bridgeport, Chicago, Chicago Maritime Museum, Chicago’s Forgotten ‘Coral Reef’, Illinois, Philip Willink
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