Gayantonia Franze

With 14 years of experience as a Biological Oceanographer specializing in Plankton Ecology, I have successfully managed research projects throughout their lifecycle, both in the laboratory and in the field, consistently delivering scientific results through peer-reviewed publications and governmental and international reports. Since 2019, I have been working as a Research Scientist at the Institute of Marine Research (IMR), where my research focuses on monitoring the effects of natural and anthropogenic stressors on microbial physiology, community structure, and function across various aquatic ecosystems.

In 2020, I became the project leader for the long-term project "Monitoring of Climate and Plankton in the North Sea and Skagerrak." Running under different forms since 2006, this project collects essential data for multiple IMR projects and supports the work of several ICES working groups, including WGINOS, WGMPE, WGZE, HAWG, WGALES, and WGSINS. The North Sea Ecosystem Cruise platform has also been used by numerous pilot and short-term projects due to the extensive coverage of the North Sea we provide.

Since 2022, I have been leading the "Ecosystem Response to Darkening of the Coastal Zone – Food Web Implications" project, which aims to understand the effects of increased land runoff on plankton and its cascading impacts on higher trophic levels, including commercially important species and fundamental ecosystem services. My role in these projects extends beyond project management; I design, plan, and execute monitoring plans and experimental procedures while overseeing and mentoring technicians to achieve the highest quality results. Since joining IMR, I have played a key role in advancing imaging analysis techniques, such as FLOWCAM, and have strengthened the taxonomic skills of our team, particularly in microzooplankton identification.

My work involves extensive collaboration within IMR and with national and international colleagues. I am part in the PELAGIC project led by Dr. Johanna Aarflot and have co-authored a textbook chapter for the Arctic University with Dr. Nicole Aberle-Malzahn (NTNU) and Dr. Camilla Svensen (UIT). Additionally, I have established a fruitful collaboration with the Università di Napoli Federico II in Italy, mentoring five students (two master's and three Ph.D. candidates) who conducted their thesis research at the Flødevigen station or during the North Sea Ecosystem cruise. This collaboration also led to my involvement as a co-advisor for a Master thesis and an invitation to join a 2025 research expedition to Antarctica, where I will contribute my expertise in microzooplankton ecology and polar system ecology.