The reef was constructed by Terry Chase Studios, of Cedar Creek, Missouri. T he diorama was conceived originally by the museum staff. Close cooperation between the author, Terry Chase and his staff, and Don Mikulic and Joanne Kluessendorf, both of the Illinois Geological Survey, assured accuracy of the reconstructions. The reef was fabricated in Missouri and transferred to Milwaukee for installation. E xhibits on either side of the reef diorama display actual fossils of many marine organisms in the diorama.
All models are full-scale reconstructions.
T he reef mass was bound together by colonial corals, bryozoans and algae. Attached flower-like echinoderms dominate the surfaces. These plant-like animals, related to starfish and sea urchins, were filter feeders which obtained food by sieving microscopic organisms from sea water with their delicate arms. Other filter feeders were the bivalved brachiopods. Grazing and browsing animals included snails and the extinct group of arthropods called trilobites.