Ethan Dewald

Ethan has always had a passion for the outdoors, particularly in the oceans. Living landlocked for most of his early life, he was delighted when his family moved to Cape Cod, Massachusetts. After completing high school in rural Pennsylvania, Ethan completed a Bachelor of Science double majoring in Biology and Environmental Science at the College of William & Mary in Williamsburg, VA, concentrating on marine ecology and conservation.

While completing his undergraduate degree, Ethan took part in several research projects in ecology, including a crayfish population survey in the Lake Matoaka watershed via baited trap and netting methods, a camera trap wildlife survey via photo/video analysis, and invasive blue catfish osmoregulatory and electroreceptory capacity in the Chesapeake Bay. Ethan served as a research intern at the Bimini Biological Field Station, or “Sharklab”, in South Bimini, the Bahamas, where he spent his days diving and photographing many shark species, including the endangered Great Hammerhead. Ethan is currently a marine science instructor at MarineLab Environmental Education Center in Key Largo, FL, where he can be found on a boat somewhere in either the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary or Everglades National Park with school groups aged fifth grade through college and adult-level teaching them about seagrass, mangroves or coral reef ecology.

Ethan is excited to be a part of OFI, combining research with education, and is looking forward to completing projects tracking shark population health and abundance in and around the Florida Keys.