From space to the deep sea

Phytoplankton ecology, ocean color remote sensing, deep sea carbon export, and more

Department of Earth & Environment, Boston University

Who are we?

Hi, I’m Dr. Sasha J. Kramer (she/her)! As of July 2025, I am starting my lab as an Assistant Professor at Boston University in the Department of Earth & Environment.

I received my Ph.D. in Marine Science from UC Santa Barbara in June 2022. My dissertation research (funded by the NDSEG Fellowship) examined PCC using a combination of in situ methods and remote sensing. My postdoctoral work as a Simons Foundation Fellow in Marine Microbial Ecology at MBARI linked PCC to productivity and carbon export by combining surface ocean data with sinking particles collected in sediment traps. I participated in the 2018 NAAMES and 2018 & 2021 EXPORTS field campaigns, as well as a 2017 graduate student-led research cruise in the Santa Barbara Channel (Project ACIDD) and the 2024 NSF Early Career Chief Scientist Training Cruise. I serve as one of the instructors of the 2025 NASA Ocean Optics Class, and love opportunities to engage with students. Outside of my scientific research, I spend time reading, baking, and being active in nature.

Photo © MBARI

 

What do we do?

Research in my lab focuses on characterizing surface ocean phytoplankton communities using a combination of in-water data and remote sensing. From these surface ocean measurements, we can consider the implications of changing phytoplankton community composition (PCC) for broader biogeochemical cycles (e.g., carbon export) and in response to extreme events. My work combines oceanographic fieldwork, remote sensing data, and lab work using optical and molecular tools. I enjoy incorporating new approaches and methods to observe phytoplankton across scales. Please feel free to contact me if you have questions, are looking for code or data that is not here or on PANGAEA, SeaBASS, or GitHub, or need a copy of a paper that you can’t find online.

Preparing to deploy the HyperPro radiometer in Monterey Bay - Photo © Colleen Durkin