​ASE student Leon Sun wins the St. John's Island research grant

Congratulations to ASE student Leon Sun, who was recently awarded the Explore St. John's Island Research Grant for young marine scientists. The research program, run by Marine Science R&D Program (MSRDP) in partnership with the St John’s Island National Marine Laboratory (SJINML), provides funding support for undergraduate/diploma/JC level students to undertake exploratory marine science research at Singapore’s only offshore marine research facility, SJINML. The aim of the Explore grant is to “…motivate students to develop technical skills and scientific literacy through active research interactions, moving from being passive learners to active scientists” (http://sjinml.nus.edu.sg/explore-menu-2/).

Leon Sun is going to study the growth and physiology of the blue coral Heliopora coerulea, and its role as an iron sink in reef biogeochemistry, by comparing skeletal iron content and growth rates of corals from Singapore’s Kusu Island and corals from the Maldives.

For more information on the St. John's Island research grant, see http://sjinml.nus.edu.sg/explore-menu-2/.