Chicago, the river has a comeback story — and Shedd Aquarium is telling it with fins. This fall, the aquarium is shining a spotlight on the original swimmers of the Chicago River: around 60 types of freshwater fishes living just below the surface, from largemouth bass and walleye to black crappie, pumpkinseed sunfish, bluegill and channel catfish.
These animals have rebounded thanks to research, restoration work, science-backed policy and the care of everyone who depends on this vital resource. To understand them better, Shedd research biologist Dr. Austin Happel is tracking several fish species in the river, learning where they stay or travel and how they respond to restoration efforts — findings that help guide conservation of a diverse and resilient Chicago River.
One of the most surprising discoveries is a bluegill Happel affectionately calls the “marathon swimmer.” On three separate days, this little sport fish covered as much as 7.4 miles in a single day — a distance that, scaled to human size, is like swimming 52 miles, roughly from Navy Pier to Racine, Wisconsin.
Shedd and its partners are also restoring, rewilding and reimagining the river’s South Branch, where nearly 4,500 square feet of floating wetlands now line Bubbly Creek, giving animals food and shelter above and below the surface. Inside the aquarium, the Great Lakes gallery brings you face to face with the freshwater fish that call this region home.
Photo: Shedd Aquarium
