Our Team

Ocean Exchange Team

Katherine O’Fallon

Executive director of the Marine Research Hub

Katherine O’Fallon is the executive director of the Marine Research Hub since October of 2022.

Most recently, Katherine served as Marine Science Magnet Coordinator at New River Middle School where she successfully oversaw the implementation of curriculum in the classrooms, developed marketing strategies, and built partnerships within the community to create field experiences for her students that expanded their marine science education.

Katherine grew up in Minnesota before receiving her degree in Marine Biology from Long Island University (LIU) Southampton in New York. In her undergraduate work, she focused on coral reef ecology with summer research in Hawaii. She then began her career working as a marine biologist and educator in Curacao which solidified her love for marine science and became a PADI Open Water Instructor.

In 2002, she moved to Fort Lauderdale, FL and pursued her master’s in marine science and education at Nova Southeastern University. In 2006, she also began teaching marine science at NewRiver Middle School (NRMS). From there she transitioned to become the Marine Magnet Coordinator and played a pivotal role in elevating the school and marine science program to become a National Certified Magnet School in 2018 and many distinctions over her 11 years in that role. With her past experiences in Marine Science research and education, this opportunity to build the blue economy in our region while taking care of our backyard is the exciting next step. Katherine is also involved in various committees including Plywood Regatta with the Marine Industries Association of South Florida (MIASF) connecting students to the marine industry through the boat building challenge.

Contact Us

Ocean Exchange invites you to learn more about Awards Program, our ecosystem and success of our award winners and participants. Together, we can chart a powerful course to help ensure the future of our oceans and the Blue Economy.

“Ocean Exchange has a platform to enable people with information that they need to know about the ocean and then to showcase new technologies that are on the forefront of really helping the ocean and the planet.”

“The quality of the content and the people who are involved with Ocean Exchange is all high end.”

“Besides funding, Ocean Exchange provides access to a wide area network of incredibly talented people in organizations that really do just want to help people.”

“Ocean Exchange is really about helping the little guys grow and in so doing, helping the big guys be better ocean citizens.”

“Ocean Exchange seems to be much more focused on bringing to light under-capitalized, wonderful new technology ideas. And it’s all about two-way access to this new technology and to the people who can help with the experience to grow that technology.”

“Ocean Exchange is a force multiplier to enable sustainable innovation.”

“Ocean Exchange is a global, novel innovation forum that has a greater ability to attract a broader range of impactful stakeholders than any other event that’s out there.”

“Unquestionably, one of Ocean Exchange’s primary strengths is how it brings together people from different paths. That makes its event a delegator experience as well as experience for an innovator or awards nominee.”

“Ocean Exchange is entirely different from any of the other organizations that I’m involved in. It is about sustainable innovation. I think it’s also very different in the extremely broad range of stakeholders that it involves.”

“There’s nothing better than going to an event or engaging with people so you walk away and say, ‘Wow!’”