I have studied fossils in South Australia, groundwater in the Lower Murrumbidgee and infiltration rates at Lake George

Aero Leplastier has always had an insatiable curiosity about how the physical world works and the natural processes that govern all sorts of different systems.

“At ANU I have studied fossils in South Australia, groundwater in the Lower Murrumbidgee and infiltration rates at Lake George,” Aero said.

Aero is now embarking in undergraduate research on the Great Barrier Reef looking at the protective platform structure of algae on the coral ridges.

“A lot of these opportunities have seen me out in the field, working on manipulation experiments and really getting my hands dirty.”

He had previously studied on the Great Barrier Reef, mapping coral species and temperature profiles, through the ANU Bachelor of Philosophy (Honours) (PhB).

“I chose the PhB degree because it offered that flexibility to be able to chop and change and just follow my interests as they developed. In that sense the degree has been perfect as I’ve been able to hone in and focus on marine biogeochemistry in relation to the vulnerability associated with tropical coral reefs. This is a really important issue,” he said.

Aero is going to the southern Great Barrier Reef with his supervisor Dr Stephen Eggins and a number of researchers from ANU Research School of Earth Sciences to investigate the algal ridges, how they form and what processes are going on inside these frameworks that protect back reef, lagoon and atoll areas of coral reefs.

“There is an absence in the published literature of the processes that govern calcification and formation of these protective ridges,” Aero said.

“The work that I will be doing with my supervisors is important for understanding the vulnerabilities associated with the reef and how they’re going to change as ocean acidification continues and temperatures keep changing.”

Aero chose to come to ANU because of the prestige of the university, the flexibility of the degree, ease of transport and cost of accommodation.

“The ANU had afforded me first-hand experiences working with current researchers and academics, which has given me insight into the research side of studies that you wouldn’t normally be exposed to as an undergraduate,” he said.