Jack Cover

Jack Cover is the National Aquarium's general curator, responsible for ensuring that all the species and habitats at the Aquarium are thriving and diverse. He also played a major role in the development of National Aquarium Harbor Wetland presented by CFG Bank, which opened in 2024. Jack is one of the longest-serving members of the Aquarium team, having joined in 1987 as a herpetologist working in the rain forest exhibit.

Before joining the National Aquarium, he spent time in the field observing wildlife in numerous habitats, ranging from the tidal marshes of the Chesapeake Bay to the rain forests of Costa Rica. His passion for re-creating living habitats to inspire conservation began when he was a reptile keeper at Fort Worth Zoo in Texas. His lifelong interest in animals and protecting wild habitats was inspired by visits to zoos and aquariums in his youth.

He is a professional affiliate of the Association of Zoos and Aquariums and a member of the Turtle Conservancy, Turtle Survival Alliance, Chesapeake Bay Foundation, The Nature Conservancy and Natural History Society of Maryland. He also serves on Maryland's Oyster Advisory Commission.

Jack holds a bachelor's degree in biology with a specialty in herpetology from Towson University.