Alex Jansen is an archaeologist, anthropologist, and artist. Alex has worked at the Smithsonian Institution National Museum of Natural History and is a leading expert in emerging technologies, digital media, and science communications as a research and teaching tool in the fields of research, museums, arts, science, and education. He is interested in looking at sustainable fashion and his marine research, underwater photography, and video work. He has published, taught, exhibited, and worked nationally and internationally. Alex is currently working on several publication, exhibition, photography, hydrophone, sound-recording, and music projects that extend our connection to the natural and cultural world. You can check out updates on Alex’s latest work on his Instagram.
Alex is currently working on a series of underwater films on the Chesapeake as a teaching tool on ocean issues. These films and other materials will be made available online and there will be a series of screenings, workshops, and other initiatives. More information to come soon. He is also working with the Smithsonian on a 3D/XR, photo-documentation, and digitization experience on museum collections to teach on ocean conservation that will be used in a number of workshops, public outreach, and educational projects. Alex recently opened a new online shop, which will feature prints, classroom resources, films, and other information on the Chesapeake Bay and ocean issues. The shop features examples from his various projects in the Chesapeake Bay and Baltimore Harbor, including oysters, jellyfish, and comb jellies. You can check out his new online shop here. You can watch the trailer for the upcoming film series here. If you are a producer/distributor, would like to use these films, or want to work together, please feel free to contact Alex for information.
Alex has worked as an archaeologist at the Smithsonian Institution National Museum of Natural History’s Arctic Studies Center and is working with the center on a number of collections, photo-documentation, illustration, digitization, and public outreach initiatives. He has worked with Dr. William Fitzhugh, Director of the Smithsonian Institution National Museum of History’s Arctic Studies Center, and other researchers on the research and analysis of coastal and archaeological sites and collections from throughout Canada to look at how people interacted with past coastal and marine environments. This work has looked at how archaeology, as well as his photography and video video work, can serve as a baseline for future management and teaching tool on contemporary ocean issues. He has also worked on a number of photo-documentation, imaging, and analysis projects on museum and coastal archaeological site collections from Canada. He has also worked on several projects on the use of photo-documentation and digital media to extend museum experiences to the public.
Alex has also managed the Smithsonian Institution National Museum of Natural History’s Arctic Studies Center’s Northern and Arctic archaeology, natural history, and geological collections, including all coastal Canadian, Alaskan, Mongolian, Japanese, and Siberian collections. This work was recently included in his new paper, “Managing Museum and Coastal Archaeological Site Collections,” which was published by the Smithsonian in May 2024.
Alex’s latest work looks at the use of underwater photography, video, and other digital media and museum collections as a teaching tool on ocean issues. He has recently published two papers through the Smithsonian Institution National Museum of Natural History’s Ocean Portal where he uses his research, underwater photography, video, and archaeological work along with examples from the museum’s Sant Ocean Hall to serve as a teaching tool on ocean issues. The papers can be found here and here. He has also worked with with the Smithsonian Environmental Research Center (SERC) on an educational film based on his Ocean Portal paper on jellyfish and other initiatives to serve as a teaching tool on the Chesapeake Bay and ocean issues that will be used in educational and outreach projects, including websites and social media.
Alex also recently worked with the Smithsonian Environmental Research Center (SERC) on a film and series of educational initiatives on the Chesapeake Bay and ocean issues. Alex recently released, “Jellyfish and Comb Jellies in the Chesapeake Bay and Baltimore Harbor” based around his Ocean Portal paper and underwater photography and video work on jellyfish and was produced in collaboration with Kristen Goodhue at SERC and edited by UCLA student Sara Aoki. The film was recently released through SERC’s online media channels and can be found on the Smithsonian Learning Lab, Smithsonian Collections Search Center, and other places. The credits for the film are as follows: Director, Producer, Writer, Underwater Photography, and Underwater Video: Alex Jansen; Co-Producer: Kristen Goodhue and the Smithsonian Environmental Research Center (SERC); and Editor: Sara Aoki.
Alex’s Ocean Portal papers can now be found through the Smithsonian Institution National Museum of Natural History’s website. You can read the papers here and here. Alex’s work is also available on Smithsonian Ocean, Smithsonian Research Online, Smithsonian Profiles, and the Smithsonian Scientific Diving Program.
Alex’s new paper “Oysters as Keystone Species in the Chesapeake Bay” has been published through the Smithsonian Institution National Museum of Natural History’s Ocean Portal. You can read the paper here. The paper looks at Alex’s work on Chesapeake Bay oysters from archaeological times until present to serve as a model for restoring oysters and other keystone species for the future. The paper utilizes the Smithsonian Museum of Natural History’s Sant Ocean Hall to demonstrate that the ocean is one global, interconnected system that is capable of significant perseverance and recovery even in the face of human influence. The Ocean Portal was originally meant to be the online extension of the museum’s Sant Ocean Hall, which shows that the oceans are one system as one of its main themes, but the paper looks at contemporary environmental issues and museum collections to serve as a teaching tool on ocean issues.
Alex’s new paper “Jellies in the Baltimore Harbor,” has been published through the Smithsonian Institution National Museum of Natural History’s Ocean Portal. You can read the paper here. The paper looks at Alex’s work on jellyfish and comb jellies in the Baltimore Harbor as a teaching tool for larger ocean issues. The Ocean Portal serves as the online extension of the museum’s Sant Ocean Hall and the paper looks at Alex’s research, contemporary environmental issues, and museum collections to teach larger ocean issues.
Alex paper, “Photo-Documentation and Digital Media in Museum Collection, Archaeological, and Environmental Research” was published by the Smithsonian in May 2023. The paper focuses on the use of photo-documentation and digital media in the research of museum and coastal archaeological site collections. The paper also focuses on the use of these technologies to extend museum collections and events to the public. The work also looks at the use of photo-documentation, underwater photography and video, hydrophone recordings, and other media to extend coastal and marine science to the global community.
Alex’s paper, “Using Media to Enhance and Communicate Archaeological and Environmental Research,” was recently published by the Smithsonian. The paper focuses on the photo-documentation and digitization of the Smithsonian Institution National Museum of Natural History’s (NMNH) Arctic Studies Center’s Koliktalik site collection and other collections. The paper looks at the use photo-documentation and digitization to extend museum collections and events to the public. The paper also looks at Alex’s work with native and ancient drinks and other cultural traditions and the use of these technologies to create sensory experiences for the viewer. These projects focus on his interest in Scandinavian, South American, and other cultures, drinks, and traditions. The paper also looks at Alex’s use of photo-documentation, underwater photography, video, and hydrophone recording in coastal and marine research.
Alex will be giving a workshop with Isabel Val Sánchez on the role of creative practice, therapy, and our connection to local waterways through the lens of Barcelona, Spain and other locations on February 21, 2023 for the Urban Underwater Ecosystems research group. Alex contributed hydrophone and sound-recordings to the workshop which will be released on a new album.
Alex recently gave a talk with Stef Velduis on the role of sessile organisms and other species in urban underwater ecosystems in the Netherlands and other locations on January 18, 2023 for the Urban Underwater Ecosystems research group.
Alex recently launched his new research cluster on urban underwater ecosystems as part of the Becoming Fresh & Salty Drops (Of Water) festival that took place at Ocean Space in Venice, Italy from 6/1/2022-6/22/2022. You can read about the festival here: Ocean Space, TBA21, and Ocean-Archive.
Alex recently published a new educational resource on ocean issues, “Coastal Archaeology in the Chesapeake Bay, USA – A Case Study for Ocean Care,” through TBA21-Academy based on his work at SERC, Fishing Bay, MD, and the Baltimore Harbor. You read the paper here.
Alex recently gave a talk, “The Use of Coastal Archaeology and Digital Media to Aid in Today’s Oyster Restoration” for TBA21-Academy’s Ocean Comm/uni/ty. The talk focused on Alex’s work on human technological change and Native American and later use of oysters and other coastal resources as a baseline for future management as well as his recent work in the Baltimore Harbor.
Alex has published a series of papers on museum research, collections, exhibitions, art history, and archaeology. His most recent research looked at Chesapeake oysters, other coastal resource use, and human technological change through time utilizing archaeological sites and museum collections from Native American times until present as a baseline for looking at contemporary environmental issues, which was published into a series of papers. He researched coastal archaeological sites and museum collections at Fishing Bay, Maryland and the Smithsonian Environmental Research Center (SERC) to look at past environments. This work also used artifact analysis and radiocarbon dating to look at coastal resource use through time at these sites. Alex also worked on the photo-documentation of Chesapeake coastal and marine museum collections for this work as well as the use of other digital media.
Alex’s work has looked at Chesapeake archaeological sites, human ecology, and coastal and environmental change and dynamics through time to look at how we manage coastal and marine environments in the future. Alex has also conducted research, analysis, and radiocarbon dating on the use of early shell-temper and other traditions in ceramic production to look at how people interacted with past coastal and marine environments. Alex’s work has been featured on Smithsonian Profiles and Smithsonian Research Online, which are designed to extend the museum’s research to the global public, and has been cited in numerous journals, papers, news articles, and bachelor’s, master’s, and PhD theses. His work has been used in written testimony in the U.S. House Committee on Natural Resources hearing on Ocean Climate Action: Solutions to the Climate Crisis and the Ocean-Based Climate Solutions Act, which is the first comprehensive bill on ocean-climate solutions.
Alex recently showed his work as part of the “Tracing Earth” exhibition in London, England from 11/19/21-11/26/21. The show was on view until November 26th by appointment. The nearest tube station was Battersea Power Station. The work looked at engaging with coastal and natural environments through art to document human impacts on the environment. The exhibition specifically focused on changing tide levels, water pollution, and the rythm of the Thames River. Alex contributed hydrophone and sound-recordings to the exhibition which was released on a new album. You can listen to the album here. Check out the recent article from Deeper Blue on Alex’s new album here.
Alex’s work was recently exhibited at the Progress Gallery in Pomona, California from 5/8/21-5/30/21. There was an opening reception on 5/8 from 5pm-9pm in downtown Pomona. This work is part of his exhibition on experiencing culture and history through the senses.
Alex has done a number of fieldwork projects in the Chesapeake and other coastal and marine environments with photo-documentation, illustration, underwater photography, hydrophones, sound-recordings, and other media. He has done numerous hydrophone projects in coastal and marine environments, rivers, creeks, and streams. These are being released in a number of publication, exhibition, sound, and music projects.
Alex Jansen 
You must be logged in to post a comment.