She has found that different species live in different sections of the coastline. By looking at diatoms from different levels in an ice core, she hopes in the future to be able to tell the direction and strength of past winds, and get hints about past climates. This information can help predict what is going to happen to the climate in Antarctica and the rest of the world in the future. I asked her what was most important about her work. She said that diatoms were interesting, and studying them fun, but that wasn't her principal concern.
Climate change has strong geopolitical consequences.
Supposing desertification in the sahel is permanent. This interests me more than the diatoms themselves. If we can predict future climate, maybe we can avoid some problems. Forewarned is forearmed. Dr. Davida Kellogg filtering sea water to find diatoms.