Summative Evaluation of Wild Reef-Sharks at Shedd

The John G. Shedd Aquarium opened an exhibition entitled Wild Reef: Sharks at Shedd in April 2003. Wild Reef immerses visitors in an Indo-Pacific ecosystem where they experience firsthand the connections among animals, habitats and people. This 2,800 square-foot exhibition spans nine rooms and contains one of the largest and most diverse collections of sharks in North America, along with the Midwest's largest public display of live corals. The primary message of Wild Reef is: Philippine coral reefs support an amazing abundance of life and anchor a delicate network of dependencies between animals, habitats, and humans. Shedd contracted with Lorrie Beaumont, an independent evaluation consultant to conduct the summative evaluation of Wild Reef during November and December of 2004. The purpose of this evaluation was to examine the ways in which the exhibition met its intended goals and communicated its intended content messages. The appendix of this report includes the interview protocols and timing and tracking map used in the study.