Dr. Ruth Gates was a world-renowned marine biologist and pioneering leader in coral reef conservation research. She served as Director of the Hawaiʻi Institute of Marine Biology at the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa and was the first woman to be President of the International Society for Reef Studies. Born in Cyprus on March 28, 1962 and raised in Kent, England, she earned her Bachelor of Science and PhD in marine biology from Newcastle University, where her interest in coral reefs began after watching Jacques Cousteau documentaries. Her passion for corals solidified during a graduate research dive trip to the West Indies, where she witnessed firsthand the complexity of coral-algal symbiosis. Dr. Gates dedicated her career to understanding coral reef ecosystems and their response to environmental stressors, establishing herself as a globally recognized expert in marine biology.
Dr. Gates achieved widespread recognition for her innovative research on coral biology and human-assisted coral evolution, particularly her groundbreaking work developing "super corals" - naturally occurring coral species with enhanced resilience to climate change impacts. Her research focused on understanding the biological mechanisms that allow certain corals to withstand warming ocean temperatures and bleaching events, with the goal of selectively breeding corals that could thrive under future climate conditions. This visionary work, prominently featured in the Emmy-award-winning documentary "Chasing Coral," demonstrated how assisted evolution could potentially stabilize threatened reef ecosystems. With significant funding from Paul Allen's Vulcan Foundation, she led a team that identified key traits making some corals better survivors and developed methodologies to reinforce those traits through selective breeding approaches. Her scientific acumen propelled coral resilience research to international prominence, providing critical hope for conservation at a time when warming oceans threatened massive die-offs of these vital ecosystems.
Beyond her research contributions, Dr. Gates was a tireless and charismatic advocate for coral reef conservation, effectively communicating the urgency of climate change impacts on marine ecosystems to both scientific and public audiences. She mentored numerous researchers and built a dynamic, globally recognized research group at the Hawaiʻi Institute of Marine Biology that continues to advance coral science and resilience strategies. Her leadership in the scientific community extended through her presidency of the International Society for Reef Studies and numerous awards recognizing her contributions, including the ARCS Foundation Scientist of the Year and the UH Board of Regents' Medal for Excellence in Research. Though her untimely death on October 25, 2018 deprived the field of a brilliant scientist and indefatigable mentor, her innovative approaches to coral conservation continue to inspire researchers worldwide. The legacy of her work endures through ongoing research on coral resilience, with her "super corals" approach providing a scientifically grounded pathway for reef conservation in an era of climate change.
