55 Music Concourse Dr.
Golden Gate Park
San Francisco CA
94118
415.379.8000
Regular Hours:

Daily

9:30 am – 5:00 pm

Sunday

11:00 am – 5:00 pm
Members' Hours:

Tuesday

8:30 – 9:30 am

Sunday

10:00 – 11:00 am
Closures
Notices

The Academy will be closed on Thanksgiving and Christmas Day.

Please note: Rainforests of the World will be closed from May 7-9.

 
J. Charles Delbeek

Charles is an Assistant Curator for the Steinhart Aquarium.

Q&A

Briefly describe your job and your area of expertise. Maintain tropical marine aquarium exhibits; specialize in coral reef fish, corals, clams, and cephalopods.

What got you interested in becoming a biologist? I have been keeping marine fish since I was a small boy and always enjoyed watching Jacques Cousteau specials on TV in the 60’s. This lead me to begin snorkeling at a young age and to become SCUBA certified n 1973.

What do you like most and  least about your job? Every day is different and brings new challenges and  rewards.

What college did you go to and what degree did you receive? University of Toronto, H.B.Sc., M.Sc. and B.Ed.

What influenced your job choice and when? I wanted to change careers and entered the public aquarium field in 1995.

Do you have pets at home? What and  how many? No.

Advice for someone wanting to go into your field. Get practical experience in the area you are interested in by working with animals either at home or as a volunteer at a zoo or aquarium near you.

More about Charles

    

Selected Articles and Publications

See more »

 

Charles’ Suggested Reading:

“The Reef Aquarium: A Comprehensive Guide to the Identification and Care of Tropical Marine Invertebrates. Vol. 1: Stony Corals and Tridacna Clams” by J.C. Delbeek and J. Sprung, 1994 (Ricordea Publishing).

“The Reef Aquarium: A Comprehensive Guide to the Identification and Care of Tropical Marine Invertebrates. Vol. 2: Soft Corals, Corallimorpharians, Gorgonians, Sea Anemones and Zoanthids” by J.C. Delbeek and J. Sprung, 1997 (Ricordea Publishing).

“The Reef Aquarium: A Comprehensive Guide to the Identification and Care of Tropical Marine Invertebrates. Vol.3: Science, Art and Technology” by J.C. Delbeek and J. Sprung, 2005 (Ricordea Publishing).

“Giant Clams in the Sea and in the Aquarium” by James W. Fatheree, 2008 (Liquid Medium Publications).

“Reef Fishes Series. Volumes 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 and 6” by Scott W. Michael, 2001-2009 (TFH Publications).

“Life and Death in a Coral Sea: The Undersea Discoveries of Jacques-Yves Cousteau” by Jacques-Yves Cousteau and Philippe Diole, 1971 (Littlehampton Book Services Ltd).