Lisa Kovalanchik is the Aquarium Curator based at the Marine Education Center and Aquarium on Skidaway Island. When she’s not working to maintain the animal collections and exhibits at the facility, you may find her out in the field or doing an aquarium tour for visitors. She teaches most of the classes offered at the Marine Education Center and Aquarium, but her favorite lab to teach is a Fish Dissection. Kovalanchik is originally from Pennsylvania, but grew up spending a lot of time at the beach in the mid-Atlantic states which fostered her love of marine ecosystems.

After graduating with a bachelor’s degree in marine science from Coastal Carolina University, she spent a few years working in the field of animal husbandry and environmental education before taking on her current position in 2013. After deciding to go back to school, Kovalanchik earned a master’s degree in marine science from UGA in 2022. While life keeps her busy, in her free time, she loves playing tennis, travelling, reading, and spending time on the rivers with her husband near their home in the beautiful South Carolina lowcountry.