Ruth Gates facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Ruth Gates
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Ruth Gates discusses coral reef science on ThinkTech Hawaii in 2016
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Ruth Deborah Gates
March 28, 1962 Akrotiri, Cyprus
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| Died | October 25, 2018 (aged 56) Kailua, Hawaii, U.S.
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| Alma mater | Newcastle University (BSc, PhD) |
| Known for | Coral reef research |
| Spouse(s) | Robin Burton-Gates |
| Scientific career | |
| Fields | Marine biology |
| Institutions | University of California, Los Angeles Hawaiʻi Institute of Marine Biology |
| Thesis | Seawater temperature and algal-cnidarian symbiosis (1989) |
Ruth Deborah Gates (born March 28, 1962 – died October 25, 2018) was a leading scientist who studied coral reefs. She was the head of the Hawaiʻi Institute of Marine Biology. She was also the first woman to lead the International Society for Reef Studies.
Dr. Gates focused her research on how corals live with tiny algae. She also studied how corals might get used to changes in the ocean due to climate change. She is well-known for her work on "super corals." These are corals that are stronger and can survive better. You can see her work in the documentary Chasing Coral on Netflix.
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Becoming a Marine Biologist
Ruth Gates was inspired by the TV show The Undersea World of Jacques Cousteau. She studied biology at Newcastle University in England. She earned her first degree in 1984.
She fell in love with corals during a diving trip to the West Indies. In 1985, she moved there to study them more closely. She finished her advanced degree (PhD) in 1989. Her research was about how ocean temperature affects how algae and corals live together. While studying in Jamaica, she saw corals turn white because of rising temperatures. This is called coral bleaching.
Exploring Coral Reefs
After getting her PhD, Dr. Gates became a researcher at the University of California, Los Angeles. She spent 13 years there. She learned a lot about how cells work, how living things change over time, and how genes work. During her time there, a big coral bleaching event happened in 1998. This event killed more than 15% of corals worldwide.
In 2003, Dr. Gates joined the Hawaiʻi Institute of Marine Biology. She studied corals and reefs to understand how they work. She also looked for ways to help them survive. She worked on Coconut Island. There, she tried to find out why some corals survived bleaching.
Her team watched coral reef environments very closely. They wanted to understand how a changing environment affected coral health. Corals in shallow areas like Kāneʻohe Bay face very warm water and strong sunlight. Besides water temperature, they measured light, salt levels, and nutrients. This helped them create 3D models of reefs. They studied the tiny algae, called symbiodinium, that live inside corals. These algae give corals energy. Corals lose them during coral bleaching.
Dr. Gates was also worried about sunscreens that contain certain chemicals. In 2015, she asked for these sunscreens to be banned in Hawaii. They were banned in 2018. In 2012, she showed that the type of algae living with corals was very important. It affected how well tropical reefs survived environmental stress. She believed that more than 90% of the world's corals could die by 2050.
The Gates Coral Lab
Dr. Gates started the Gates Coral Lab at the Hawaiʻi Institute of Marine Biology. Even after she passed away in 2018, her team continues her important research. They study the features of coral reef environments. Their research helps guide efforts to restore corals and create rules to protect them.
The Gates Coral Lab works with the Australian Institute of Marine Science. Together, they have a project called the Coral Assisted Evolution Project. This project tries to make coral reefs stronger and help them recover. This is important as climate change affects them.
In 2017, Dr. Gates' team held the first coral restoration workshop in Hawaii. Their efforts to restore Hawaii's coral reefs focus on realistic and effective methods. Recent studies from the lab suggest focusing on local restoration. They believe this is best until more research is done on how to stop the main cause of bleaching, which is climate change. Other studies have looked at helpful changes in genes and moving corals to new places.
Super Corals: A Solution
"Super corals" are corals that did not turn white during natural bleaching events. These events happen when ocean temperatures are high. Dr. Gates saw these "super corals" as a way to stop corals from disappearing forever. She once said, "I just cannot bear the idea that future generations may not experience a coral reef." Her goal was to solve the problem, not just study it.
In 2013, she won the Paul G. Allen Ocean Challenge. This prize helped her improve the strength of vulnerable coral reefs. For this project, Dr. Gates worked with Madeleine van Oppen. They used genetic selection to make corals more resistant to environmental stress. They did this by putting cross-bred corals into tanks that got warmer and more acidic. In the lab, they took strong corals and collected their eggs and sperm after they spawned. They raised the baby corals in the lab. Then, they tested them to see if they were more resistant to high temperatures.
Dr. Gates received the University of Hawaii Board of Regents Medal for Excellence in Research. A $4 million research project, called Coral Assisted Evolution, was funded by the Paul G. Allen Frontiers Group. This project supported Dr. Gates' research for four years, starting in 2016. It focused on creating "super corals" that can handle climate change. Even though Dr. Gates was careful about changing nature, she felt she had to act to prevent species from dying out.
In 2016, Hawaii Business magazine named Dr. Gates one of Hawaii's top 20 leaders. She explored if regular corals could get new algae partners to help them handle high temperatures better. If her project works, it could save a lot of money. In 2018, a foundation supported a coral reef map. This map allowed scientists to watch corals in amazing detail.
Sharing Her Knowledge
Besides her research, Dr. Gates was a mentor and a public speaker. She was great at explaining science to everyone. She inspired people with her passion and positive attitude.
In 2015, she was chosen as the first female president of the International Society for Reef Studies. She helped increase the number of members and their involvement. Her "Super Coral" ideas were featured in many popular magazines and news outlets. These included Fast Company, Gizmodo, PBS, Newsweek, Hawaii Business, National Geographic, the Huffington Post, New Scientist, and the BBC.
Her work was also shown in the Netflix documentary Chasing Coral. She was invited to speak at the 2017 Aspen Ideas Festival. In 2018, she was featured in a video series by the University of Hawaiʻi Foundation. The Gates Coral Lab is involved in many public activities. They even host students from Mo'orea. She was also a member of the Tetiaroa Society.
Chasing Coral Documentary
Dr. Gates' work at the Hawaiʻi Institute of Marine Biology is a big part of the Netflix documentary, Chasing Coral. In the film, she shares her wonder about corals. She says, "I have the utmost respect for corals because I think they have got us all fooled. Simplicity on the outside does not mean simplicity on the inside."
The documentary shows her work with Richard Vevers and his diving team. They worked on a project to film coral bleaching in the ocean for the first time. Dr. Gates provided the scientific knowledge for this project. She taught the diving team and the audience throughout the film. She warned viewers about "the eradication of an entire ecosystem in our lifespan." She hoped this would encourage people to act against climate change. Her appearance in Chasing Coral was one of her many ways to reach out to the public. She wanted to raise awareness about coral bleaching and inspire people to help stop it.
Personal Life
Ruth Gates was born in Akrotiri, Cyprus. Her parents were John Amos Gates and Muriel Peel Gates. She had a brother named Timothy. She married Robin Burton-Gates in September 2018. In her free time, she was a skilled scuba diver. She also earned a black belt in karate and started a karate school in Hawaii.
Dr. Gates passed away in 2018 due to health complications. She left behind a legacy of hope and progress in marine science. Her team at the Gates Coral Lab and other labs around the world continue her work. They study how corals can resist climate change and pass on these strengths to future generations.
