Hayley Caitlin Drennon

Marine scientist, data curator, and science communicator passionate about mapping and sharing the stories of the ocean.

Hayley was born in Charleston, South Carolina, where childhood days spent wandering marshes, tide pools, and barrier islands sparked a lifelong fascination with the ocean. Her curiosity deepened at the College of Charleston through the Benthic Acoustic Mapping and Surveying (BEAMS) Program, where she first discovered the power of seafloor mapping to reveal the hidden landscapes of the deep. She earned her B.S. in Marine Biology and Geology, blending a love for living systems with an understanding of the planet’s physical framework.

Hayley spent seven years working at Columbia University’s Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory, five of those as a Senior Research Assistant with the Ferrini Data Collaboratory. There, she contributed to global initiatives such as the Global Multi-Resolution Topography (GMRT) synthesis, the Marine Geoscience Data System (MGDS), and the Nippon Foundation–GEBCO Seabed 2030 Project, while also serving as a Guest Investigator at Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution managing submersible data. Her work centered on bathymetric data curation, synthesis, and habitat characterization, bridging large-scale mapping efforts with applied marine science.

Beyond research, Hayley is deeply committed to mentoring and science communication. She helped launch and lead the inaugural Girl Talk Program at Lamont, introducing young women to ocean mapping and career opportunities in marine science, and has mentored numerous students through LDEO’s bathymetric data apprentice program. She believes that science is, at its core, a story — one we reveal piece by piece, growing richer and more astounding with every observation and every question answered.

Now based in Seattle, Hayley is the founder of HD Oceanic, where she continues to support cross-sector oceanographic initiatives through acoustic acquisition and processing, research collaborations, and mentorship. She is especially drawn to projects that merge exploration with storytelling, connecting the mysteries of the seafloor to the broader narrative of our planet.