At Southern Illinois University (SIU), aquatic resources and sciences form a core part of both our scholarly activities and our regional identity.

SIU is located at the northern tip of the Mississippi Delta Region near the confluence of two of the world’s Great Rivers. Just 50 miles south of campus, the Mississippi and Ohio combine and flow into the Gulf of Mexico. Our state also borders Lake Michigan, one of the world’s great inland seas.

SIU’s aquatic research and education mission reflects our unique geography, linking our nation’s vast freshwater resources with fragile coastal-marine habitats.

In 2012, the SIU Board of Trustees, under the direction of Vice Chancellor for Research John Koropchak, approved the initial phase of the Aquatic Research Laboratory and Saluki Aquarium at SIU. The combined research and education facility was designed by Dr. Brian Small of the Center for Fisheries, Aquaculture, and Aquatic Sciences, and its construction began in 2014. Slated to be operational in 2015 and complete in 2016, this world-class aquatic facility will enable SIU to continue our important work in promoting greater understanding of and education about our precious aquatic resources.