Jackson graduated from the University of Oregon in 2020 with a B.S. in Marine Biology. During that time, he studied at the Oregon Institute of Marine Biology and conducted a survey of native and introduced hydroids in Coos Bay, Oregon. Jackson is fascinated by the ever more frequent introductions of marine invertebrate species around the globe and their growing impact on the communities they establish themselves in. His current project focuses on the seasonal drivers and impacts of the introduced sponge Hymeniacion perlevis in the Elkhorn Slough next to MLML. During his free time, he can often be found reading, hiking, listening to music, or painting marine life for his web store, Inverted Ink.