Bryan Schuetze sleeps with the fish.

Well, not really, but the NIU alumnus must feel like it sometimes with his tireless work as design director of the John G. Shedd Aquarium in Chicago.

“When I come in every morning, there’s a true love for the animals that I see every day, and they actually get to know you,” he said. “We fulfill a service to the community at large by offering an understanding of the fragile ecosystem.”

Schuetze hopes the understanding will be furthered by Wild Reef, a soon-to-be opened exhibit that he has worked on for six years.

The $45 million exhibit will contain 750,000 gallons of water and more than 30 sharks. Schuetze’s goal is for it to be a near perfect duplication of a Philippines coral reef with more than 500 species of reef fishes. It is Schuetze’s most ambitious work to date.

“It sets a new standard for the aquarium industry,” he said. “It’s an incredibly rewarding accomplishment. It’s been incredibly inspiring. With the process and the amount of learning, to get that opportunity has been quite honestly life changing.”

Schuetze first developed his skills as an NIU student in the 1980s.

“I always knew that my mind was more three dimensional than two dimensional,” he said. “Design has always been a part of my life, and it’s something I have enjoyed and showed an aptitude for. My interest in art was certainly developed at Northern. I think the isolation at Northern created a more focused understanding of design.”

Schuetze is not the only former NIU student involved with the project. Schuetze’s friend, Joseph Seigenthaler, is the exhibit fabrication and maintenance coordinator at the Shedd. He also is sculpting a giant coral polyp for the exhibit.

“I am really excited about it,” Seigenthaler said. “It’s one of the best exhibits that the Shedd Aquarium has ever had. It looks great right now even without a lot of the aquatic animals there. You really can see [Schuetze’s] work paying off when you look at it. He also has a great sense of humor and a great work ethic. He works really hard and is dedicated once he gets involved in something.”

That hard work included getting certified to dive and spending six weeks in the Philippines to study ecosystems. That type of effort left one of Schuetze’s coworkers stunned.

“He has done a wonderful job,” said Jennifer Bennett, graphic coordinator at the Shedd. “He has been very open and introduced a lot of creative ideas. As far as exhibits go, it’s an excellent design.”

Schuetze is eyeing his next project, but he knows he wants to continue one aspect of this one.

“I am just trying to create and maintain an environment of experimentation here,” he said.

Schuetze’s Wild Reef Exhibit will open this April.