The Gulf Stream plays a significant role in maintaining the climate of the US East Coast and Western Europe. “We conclude with a high degree of confidence that Gulf Stream transport has indeed slowed by about 4% in the past 40 years.” The full study is Here
This is what tenured professors do. They apply for research grants in their field, run laboratories, and publish papers. It’s how most public academic research gets done and this is indeed a full-time job that pays decently (but not fabulously) well. As far as the focus of her studies go: she is an Oceanography professor at the University of Miami, so… like… what else is she going to research other than the boundary of the western Atlantic ocean?
Thank you for the detailed reply!