Michael Kim ’23
Ecology and Evolutionary Biology
North Atlantic Ocean Nutrient-Consumption Changes During Climate Events of the Last Glacial Period
I participated in a team whose main focus is to correlate oceanic nutrient levels in the fossil record with climate patterns, specifically in the North Atlantic Ocean since the last ice age. Studying this correlation is useful both for creating models of regional climate from this time period, as well as extrapolating future changes in oceanic nutrient density as our planet experiences unprecedented climate change due to human activity. My summer work consisted of identifying and picking out fossil shells of foraminifera (forams) in sediment samples taken from the North Atlantic Ocean. These shells could then be processed by my mentor, who dissolved the shells and isolated their isotopic nitrogen; due to COVID-19 restrictions, I was unable to participate in this portion of the internship work. I developed skills in scientific research through my experience, and I am more confident than before that I will want to pursue research as a career. I have been invited to stay with the research team, and I plan to continue this work through the 2021-22 academic year.
2021
Climate and Environmental Science
Sigman Research Laboratory, Department of Geosciences, Princeton University
Daniel Sigman, Dusenbury Professor of Geological and Geophysical Sciences, Professor of Geosciences; Jesse Farmer, Postdoctoral Research Associate, Geosciences