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Staff

Deborah Cheney

Shane Deuben

Ryan Gallagher

Rick Oellers

Staff Biographies    

Deborah Cheney: Biography

Deborah began fishkeeping thirty years ago. In 1986, her passion for tropical fish led to an aquarist position with New England Aquarium Services. In 1989 Deborah became Vice President, a position she holds today. Deborah has attended Southern Maine Vocational Tech, majoring in fishery science and general biology. In addition to servicing aquariums, she was a major player in the operation of Aquatic Concepts, a premier aquarium store, owned by New England Aquarium Services. Deborah specializes in African Cichlids and general aquarium fish health. Deborah served as Secretary of the Maine State Aquarist Society from 1992-1999. Deborah manages the fresh water breeding program for North East Aquatic Technologies, working with students from the University of New England. Other than tropical fish keeping Debbie's favorite past time is boating and snorkeling in both lakes, the Gulf of Maine, Florida Keys and Mexico.

Shane Deuben: Biography

Starting an interest at a tender young age, Shane would diligently study the Brook and Rainbow Trout his father brought home after a day of fishing in Colorado; opening their mouths and counting the teeth as well as probing their glazed eyes. He acquired his first pet fish at the age of four, a blue Betta splendens, and named him "Blue Sky." From that point, there was no turning back. There was no such thing as popping into a pet store to just have a look around. Hours would go by under the warm glow of fluorescent lights overhead through the fish aisles before it was lovingly decreed by his mother, that visiting the pet store would have to be scaled down a bit. No pun intended. Over the years right up through High School, Shane kept many different varieties of fish ranging from goldfish to BumbleBee Gobies. In High School, he developed a torrid love affair with brackish water species, but never made the move to go full-blown marine. A four-year hiatus called "Art College" was soon to be a new focus. Although Shane did not actively keep aquariums through college, he had friends with tanks and would bribe those friends to gain viewing access to their underwater worlds. Studying sculpture was his major focus in college and Shane began creating habitats out of plexi-glass for mice using live grass, water fountains, and soil. Something was missing........FISH!!! After graduating and working a few years in the construction business, a serendipitous meeting with Rick Oellers and Debbie Cheney changed Shane's future. (An active breeding pair of freshwater Angelfish with success in rearing the fry into adults didn't hurt either ;) Those long sought-after marine tanks would soon bud into a new passion.........although, Shane still confesses to have a soft spot for brackish water systems....

Ryan Gallagher : Biography

Ryan Gallagher graduated from the University of New England in 2010. Ryan has been an avid aquarist for ten years and has studied the habit of natural freshwater fish. He specializes in freshwater aquatic plants and Aquascaping. Ryan's creativity and innovative ideas help add a fresh new and unique look to our aquariums.

Rick Oellers: Biography

Rick Oellers attended the University of Southern Maine and formed New England Aquarium Services , Inc in 1984, which specializes in the design, installation and maintenance of aquariums. He founded the Maine State Aquarist Society in 1991 and opened a premier aquarium store that same year, with the intention of teaching hobbyist responsible aquarium husbandry. He later began work as the chief aquarist at the Science & Nature center in Seabrook, New Hampshire, a position he still holds today. Rick was a founder of the American Marinelife Dealers Association (AMDA), serving as president from 1997 to 2001. He taught aquarium husbandry at the University of New England where he became an adjunct scientist in 2008 and is currently an advisor to the ornamental marine fish and breeding project in the Marine Science department. He is an experienced diver and has worked recently surveying and studying lionfish behavior in the Caribbean.