Woodland caribou on Lake Superior's Slate Islands have developed some unusual adaptations. These adaptations are just one part of the giant screen film "Mysteries of the Great Lakes" opening Friday at the Carnegie Science Center's Rangos Omnimax Theater.

One in every seven Americans and one in every three Canadians gets their fresh water supply from the Great Lakes, the subject of the new IMAX film premiering at the Carnegie Science Center's Rangos Omnimax Theater in Pittsburgh.

"Mysteries of the Great Lakes" opens Friday at the science center, One Allegheny Ave., next to Heinz Field.

Forty million American and Canadian residents live along the Great Lakes' coastlines. Dubbed "inland seas" by early European explorers, Lakes Huron, Ontario, Michigan, Erie, and Superior comprise a fifth of the planet's freshwater and boast some of the most spectacular scenery across the globe.

Spearheaded by the story of three animals — the woodland caribou, the bald eagle, and the lake sturgeon — the film traverses the course of history, highlights the human impact on the region, pinpoints the hardships that threatened the Great Lakes' survival, and showcases the recent renewed interest in preserving the Great Lakes basin.

Science center hours are 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays and 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sundays through Thursdays; closed holidays.

Call 412-237-3400 or visit the Web site, www.carnegiesciencecenter.org for admission. Omnimax Theater admission is available separately from science center admission.

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submitted phot0The giant screen film "Mysteries of the Great Lakes" visits the Benjamin Islands, a popular destination in the North Channel of Lake Huron's Georgian Bay. The IMAX film opens Friday at the Carnegie Science Center's Rangos Omnimax Theater.