Ann began collecting sea shells before she was able to walk and by the time she was in elementary school she had quite a collection. In university, Ann studied paleontology and was introduced to foraminifera - one-celled animals (protozoans) that build themselves exquisite, microscopic-sized calcareous shell-like homes - miniature sea-shells!

Foraminifera are marine organisms that live in the water column or on the sea floor, and abound in all marine environments today - from marshes and estuaries to the deep-sea. They are extremely sensitive to changes in temperature, salinity, water depth, sediment type, so they are very good "environmental indicators"- they can tell us a lot about pollution, erosion of the coast line, how fast sea-level is rising or dropping. Foraminifera have been around since the Cambrian Period (about 500-600 million years ago).

Ann studies "young" foraminifera from the Quaternary Period, about the last 2 million years. She collects foraminifera from the sea floor and does all of her field work from the deck of a research ship. Ann studies the forams to learn more about glaciers, and specializes in identifying and classifying foraminifera.