The Marine Scene is proud to have an exceptional staff. Each member of our team brings to the organization a commitment to customer service excellence. A prerequisite for employment at The Marine Scene is a commitment to the beautiful, yet fragile and delicate marine organisms we sell. Our staffing model defines a set of job responsibilities geared towards providing the best quality product and service available. We pride ourselves on our professionalism and ability to provide our customers with top notch livestock, products, service and advice. We look forward to serving your needs.

The Marine Scene Team

Tom White – President/General Manager

Related work experience: Tom has a BBA in marketing with extensive course work in architectural design. He spent 7 years in deluxe hotels in food and beverage management. Tom designed and personally built the store interior and holding systems. (With a little help from Dad and his Step-mom, Sally. Let's not forget our good friends Paul and Cynthia for those many hours of help and support and last but not least my lovely wife Tina for all the painting and moral support. - Thanks guys!)

Specialty: System design and holistic/natural approaches to tank management. Tom has coordinated and installed tanks from 10 gallons to 1100 gallons. Tom takes your ideas from design to completion.

Favorite fish: Yashia goby, Naso tang

Favorite coral/invert: Acropora spp

Tanks at home: 85 gallon acrylic reef tank

Responsibilities: System design and installation

Melissa Sutton – Retail Manager

Related work experience: Melissa grew up overseas maintaining freshwater aquaria since 1989 including Discus, Oscars, Guppies and live plants. She started keeping saltwater aquaria after settling back into the states in 1996. Melissa joined our team as part time in 2002 and quickly became a valued employee and has worked her way up to Retail Manager. Along with this hobby, Melissa has obtained her Open Water Diver certification in 2006, Advanced Scuba Diver in 2008 and is currently working to become Rescue Diver certified. She has dove in Nassau, Bahamas, twice in Palau, and Florida Keys. You can read about her experiences in her blog. Her other hobbies include photography, wakeboarding, swimming, traveling, camping, hiking and many other outdoor activities.

Specialty: Melissa has great knowledge of Fish, Coral and Invert Compatability along with all other aspects of the hobby. She has great customer service and enjoys making sure you have a wonderful experience at the Marine Scene.

Favorite Fish: Spineyhead Blenny

Favorite coral/invert: Zoanthus sp., Euphyllia spp.

Tanks at home: Currently has a 4-gallon pico reef fully equiped with a sump, micro-chiller and LED lighting.

Responsibilities: Melissa is responsible for overall Retail store managment and customer service. She is responsible for ensuring that our livestock is acclimated properly and correct care is given to ensure our customers a healthy specimen. She works with our vendors and wholesalers one-on-one to bring in top of the line products and be able to give discounts to you, our customers. She has been writing the Weekly Newsletter for many years and creating sales and specials.

Bobby Haas – Service Manager

Related work experience:Bobby has been a hobbiest for 10+ years. He has his Bachlors in Marine Biology with a minor in Chemistry and Oceanography.

Specialty: Bobby specialilzes in new tank design, installation and service. He maintains aquariums of all sizes ranging from 10 gallons to 1100 gallons. He ensures that each aquarium gets its proper care so all the client needs to do is feed their fish and coral.

Favorite Fish: Copperband Butterfly and Hawkfish

Favorite coral/invert: Cleaner Shrimp

Tanks at home: 30 gallon Reef aquarium

Responsibilities: Bobby is responsible for our Custom Aquarium Concepts clients, tank installation, service and maintenance.

Jen Willett – Sales Associate

Related work experience: Jen has been with the Marine Scene since 2005 and is a valued member of our team. Jen is a certified SCUBA diver and is working towards her Dive Master Certification. She is attending George Mason University and majoring in Earth Science with a Concentration in Environmental Science and receiving a minor in Oceans and Estuarine Sciences. She hopes to also complete minors in Biology and Palentology as they have always been an interest of hers. In her free time she takes horseback riding lessons and volunteers at the Smithsonian's Natural History Museum mainly in the Ichthyology (fish) department. She has also volunteered in the Entomology (insects), Ornithology (birds) and Mammalogy (mammals) departments of the Smithsonian.

Specialty: Fish Care and Customer Service

Favorite Fish: Green Mandarin , Powder Blue Tang & Seahorses

Favorite coral/invert: Sun Coral & Long Spined Urchin

Tanks at home: With her passion for the aquatic world, Jen has two aquariums at her home including a 14-gallon and a 34-gallon. She also maintains a 7-gallon freshwater tank. Her love and passion for animals has brought her to be owner of a German Shepherd, to a pair of Madagascan Giant Hissing Cocroaches as well as a Cockatiel which speaks a bit of German.

Responsibilities: Customer Service

Matt Carroll – Sales Associate

Related work experience: Has maintained saltwater aquaria for 2+ years in which he became part of our team.

Specialty: Matt is very knowledgable of SPS corals and their captive care. He is extremely knowledgable about the equipment needed to properly maintain an aquarium. He excels in Customer Service

Favorite Fish: Halichoeres sp. of Wrasse

Favorite coral/invert: Montipora sp.

Tanks at home: 38-gallon and 50-gallon breeder reefs. Both are kept on the same 30 gallon sump.

Responsibilities: Store Maintenance, Coral and Fish care, Customer Service

Matt Crossley – Sales Associate

Related work experience: Matt has worked in the aquarium hobby for many years. He joined our team after working at three other aquarium stores. Matt has 14+ years keeping freshwater aquaria and 5+ years keeping saltwater aquaria. He volunteered in the Wildlife Rehabilitation Center, which was part of the Cleveland Metro Park Zoo, caring for all types of animals including fish, reptiles, mammals and birds of prey. He spent three months in Costa Rica rehabilitating spider monkeys.

Specialty: Matt does an amazing job keeping our systems clean to provide our livestock with a healthy environment. He is very knowledgable of the many aspects of keeping saltwater aquaria and excels at customer service.

Favorite Fish: Dogface Pufferfish

Favorite coral/invert: Zoanthus sp. and Pom Pom/Boxing Crabs

Tanks at home: Matt has kept many tanks over the past few years. He is currently piecing together a 20 gallon long Reef system.

Responsibilities: Store Maintenance, Water Chemistry and Customer Service

Mike Michalski – Sales Associate

Related work experience:Mike has a Master of Science in Biological Oceanography and Remote Sensing degree as well as a Bachelor of Science in Marine Biology degree. Mike has worked as an Oceanographer for National Oceanic Atmospheric Administration, Center for Operational Oceanographic Products & Services as well for Naval Oceanographic Office, Warfigting Support Center. He has done work as a Fisheries Biologist for the USGS and A.I.S. Inc. He has extensive research in identifying local coral, benthic invertebrates, and fish species density and diversity to determine the health of the local reef environment. He has a Tropical Marine Research project looking to determine factors contributing to Echinometra mathaei’s (rock-boring urchin) burrow site selection. Mike has also assisted in Turtle Tagging where he assisted in the capture of the Chelonia mydas (green sea turtle) and then the subsequent gathering of biological measurements and collected blood samples for lab analysis of health and insertion of identification tags and then released the turtles after completion of analysis.

Specialty: As you can see Mike is extremely interested in the ocean around us and educating not just our customers but our staff as well. He excels in customer service and makes sure you have an enjoyable time at TMS.

Favorite Fish:Humpback Anglerfish (Melanocetus johnsonii)

Favorite coral/invert: Chambered Nautilus (Nautilus pompilius)

Tanks at home: 60 Gallon mixed reef, 50 Gallon propogation tank, 10 Gallon mantis shrimp tank

Responsibilities: Customer Service

Brian Harnage – Sales Associate

Related work experience:Brian has a background in landscaping which contributes to the aquascaping of a reef system.

Specialty: Service and Maintenance, Customer Service.

Favorite Fish: Coming Soon

Favorite coral/invert: Coming Soon

Tanks at home: Coming Soon.

Responsibilities: Coming Soon

Chris Moore – Sales Associate

Related work experience:Chris has recently joined the reefkeeping hobby about a year and a half ago, but his family has had freshwater and marine fish tanks for many years

Specialty: Chris specializes in soft corals, LPS corals and enjoys pico/nano tanks. He enjoys helping customers and makes your experience here a great one.

Favorite Fish:Spike fin goby

Favorite coral/invert: Ricordea yuma

Tanks at home: 25 gallon and a 3 gallon reef tank

Responsibilities: Customer Service