Sven Kranz

I received my PhD at the Alfred-Wegener-Institute Helmholtz-Center for Polar and Marine Research (AWI) with Dr. Bjoern Rost working of CO₂ effects on the N₂-fixing cyanobacterium Trichodesmium. After a short Post-Doc position in the same group I had the opportunity to work with Prof. François Morel at Princeton University. In his group I started to work on carbon acquisition of Southern Ocean phytoplankton while continuing my work on CO₂ effects on Trichodesmium including CO₂ effects under Fe-limitation. In 2014 I started a faculty position in the EOAS department at FSU. In 2023 I joined the BioSciences faculty at Rice University

In my work, I aim to better understand the regulation of physiological processes of phytoplankton under environmental change. While working mainly in the laboratory, I also conduct fieldwork (e.g. Palmer Station in Antarctica (2012), in the California Current ecosystem (CCE-LTER, 2017, upcoming (2023, 2024, 2025, 2026)), The Atlantic and Indian Ocean sector of the Southern Ocean (SCALE’19), Indian Ocean (BLOOFINZ PROJECT 2022).

PhD students:

Margaret (Maggie) Baker (2nd year PhD student)

Hi hi! My name is Maggie and I am a second year PhD student. I joined the Kranz Lab at Florida State University in the fall of 2022 and am continuing my work at Rice. I study phytoplankton physiology in extreme environments- from Antarctic sea ice to marine heat waves! I am primarily interested in overwintering sea ice algae photo-physiology, competition, and survival over time (daily cycles to seasonal changes).

Maggie’s website

Email: mb203@rice.edu

Deron-Jay Bakker (incoming first year PhD Student)

The Kranz Lab is excited to welcome new PhD student Deron-Jay (DJ) to the lab this fall! DJ is coming from UNC Chapel Hill and is interested in studying harmful algal blooms (HABs) and phytoplankton physiology as they relate to marine heatwaves. Outside of the lab, you can find him spending time with his dog Rella Mae, caring for his plants, or finding Texas’ best hiking spots.

Undergraduate students:

Radhhiya Bharmal – Hi yall! My name is Radhiya and I am a rising sophomore from Duncan College. Currently, I am the lab manager while also conducting my own experiment regarding CO2 effects on Karenia brevis under nutrient limiting conditions. When I’m not in the lab, you can find me hitting 135 on bench or having fun playing ultimate frisbee!

Joy Kim – Hi everyone! My name is Joy and I am a rising sophomore from Will Rice College, currently on the pre-med track. I’ve been volunteering in the lab by monitoring the growth and physiology of Phaeocystis antarctica along with other Antarctic phytoplankton species using the flow cytometer and Fast Repetition Rate Fluorometer (FRRf). Outside of the lab, I enjoy going to cafes or playing the violin during my free time.

Charlotte Raymond- Charlotte joined the lab in Spring ’24. She’s a guest undergraduate researcher from the EEPs department working on studying how changing nutrient conditions affect the uptake of silica in Antarctic diatoms!