Cool Jobs: Meet Senior Digital Media Specialist Vanessa Kahn

By Mariya Greeley

Vanessa Kahn grew up in the Boston area taking videos of bugs, trees, and rabbits in her backyard. As she got older, she learned to edit her videos on a computer, adding music and creating narratives with her friends. She watched documentaries like March of the Penguins—which inspired a lifelong interest in penguins—and the BBC’s Planet Earth. When she saw a shot of an underwater videographer on the show, floating gracefully with their camera poised in front of a whale, the career she wanted crystallized.

Years later, that image still floating in the back of her mind, Vanessa earned a dual degree in communications media with a concentration in film and video production and earth and environmental science at Fitchburg State University. She spent six months as a digital media intern at the Smithsonian’s National Zoo before moving back to the Boston area and securing another internship that aligned with her passions—this time at the Anderson Cabot Center for Ocean Life at the New England Aquarium.

The summer of her internship, the Aquarium rescued a massive 330-pound stranded loggerhead sea turtle, ironically dubbed Munchkin. Vanessa assisted freelance videographer Rob Nelson in capturing videos and photos of Munchkin for Munchkin’s Journey, a multipart series documenting the turtle’s recovery and eventual release. The Aquarium recognized Vanessa’s talent and hired her full-time, originally as a social media specialist.

Today, as senior digital media specialist, Vanessa works closely with teams across the Aquarium to share stories about the organization’s research and mission, contributing to ocean conservation using her unique creative skill set. You can find her work everywhere from the Aquarium’s social media and website to its exhibits (and this issue of blue).

Vanessa also goes on fieldwork trips with scientists to capture research stories through photo and video. She’s traveled with researchers to document North Atlantic right whales, sandbar sharks, and spinner sharks. Most recently, she accompanied research scientist Kara Dodge, PhD, on a trip to Puerto Rico to photograph nesting leatherback sea turtles.

“Working at the Aquarium has really refined my skills as a photographer and filmmaker, and it’s because they’ve always encouraged me to grow,” Vanessa says. “I feel so lucky to get the opportunities to work alongside scientists and animals and even luckier to have a team that is so supportive and collaborative.”

Vanessa has continued to expand her skills and grow as a videographer throughout her five years at the Aquarium. When she pitched the idea of investing in an underwater camera rig, her department not only budgeted for the equipment but also sponsored Vanessa to get her PADI open-water dive certification.

Remembering herself as a child, a little girl whose fascination with penguins was born from seeing a documentary, Vanessa hopes her work inspires others to care about marine species and ocean conservation at large, too.

“I used to think I needed to be a marine biologist to contribute to ocean conservation, but I realized visual media is a powerful tool for storytelling and translating science,” Vanessa says. “I love that sharing photos and videos can educate and even inspire people to take part in conservation.”

This story originally appeared in the Fall 2024 issue of blue magazine. 

See Vanessa’s favorite photos