About

About the Unseen Ocean Collective

The Unseen Ocean Collective brings together art, science, and community to explore and illuminate the hidden wonders of the deep sea. Through exhibitions, outreach events, and creative projects, we invite people to experience these ecosystems not just as scientific frontiers, but as spaces rich with ethical, cultural, and generational questions.

Our Mission

To reveal the deep ocean’s unseen worlds through art and science, inspiring curiosity, dialogue, and stewardship for the future of our oceans.

We create immersive experiences that connect communities to coral and sponge gardens, the life they support, and the urgent challenges they face - helping people reflect on the ocean legacy we leave for future generations.

A wealth of existing philosophical work suggests that science translated into stories can deliver a range of valuable outcomes both within science and to wider society. (Anderson et al, 2025)

About the Team

The Unseen Ocean Collective is a collaboration of artists and a scientist united by a shared passion for the deep sea and public engagement through interdisciplinary work.

The team includes:

• Meghan Jones – artist and author, Spokane, WA

• Lara Maleen Beckmann – PhD researcher at the University of Gothenburg, specializing in deep-sea corals and sponges

• Kierstin Keller – artist and illustrator, Juneau, Alaska

• Nilanjana Das – artist and PhD student at Oregon State University, Corvallis, OR

Together, they established the Unseen Ocean Collective to combine art, science, and community in exploring and illuminating the hidden wonders of the deep sea.

In 2023, NOAA Ocean Exploration filmed stunning coral and sponge gardens in the Gulf of Alaska and Aleutian Islands, regions known for their rich biodiversity and unique deep-sea ecosystems. Lara Beckmann, PhD researcher at the University of Gothenburg, analyzed this footage and documented thriving underwater “forests” of corals and sponges.

As scientists we all have stories to tell. (Anderson et al, 2025)

Motivated to share these discoveries beyond academia, Lara began collaborating with artists to create visual narratives inspired by her research. During 2024 fieldwork in Juneau, Alaska, she partnered with local artist Kierstin Keller, whose figurative work draws from Alaska’s landscapes. Through the UN Ocean Decade initiative, Lara connected with Spokane-based artist Meghan Jones, known for vibrant, modern impressionist depictions of the deep sea. Meghan then introduced sculptor Nilanjana Das, a Corvallis-based PhD student whose delicate sculptural forms explore microscopic marine life.

Together, these collaborations grew into the Unseen Ocean Collective, creating exhibitions and community programs that bring deep-sea science to new audiences. Their work aims to inspire curiosity, awareness, and stewardship of fragile ecosystems often hidden from public view.

The best arguments in the world won't change a person's mind. The only thing that can do that is a good story. (Powers, 2019, p. 607)