Marine Hall Of Distinction: Doctor Ruth Deborah Gates
This article is a part of our collection known as the Marine Hall Of Distinction. It is a different series from our main monthly series & has no connection to the main monthly series. In this special collection, we will discuss marine biologists who we feel have served marine biology & oceanography the most. We do this in order to commemorate these marine biologists & to show gratitude for everything they have contributed to our oceans. This collection has no relation to the main monthly series. This series is published on the 25th of every month, shortly after our article on the oceanic environment of a certain region on the 20th. Today’s marine biologist is Doctor Ruth Deborah Gates. Ruth Deborah Gates was one of the world’s foremost experts on coral ecology, & the effects of ocean acidification on coral. She founded the Gates Coral Laboratory, & has innovated astonishing techniques regarding coral conservation. Her techniques involved figuring out what exactly caused corals to survive stress, & genetically amplifying the gene that caused it to survive. She was also the director of the Hawai’i Institute for Marine Biology, located on Coconut Island. According to her testimony, she has a deep passion for the field, & has had it since she was an adolescent. In addition to her career as a scientist, marine biologist, & laboratory director, she has done quite a lot of public speaking, mentorship, & working on documentaries. She & her work were featured in the 2017 Emmy-winning documentary “Chasing Coral”. In this article, we shall discuss the Education & Formative Years Of Doctor Ruth Deborah Gates, The Career & Later Life Of Doctor Ruth Deborah Gates & the Accomplishments, Achievements, Awards, & Honorables Of Doctor Ruth Deborah Gates. With that being said, let us delve into the life of one of the most well-versed coral biologists of the 21st Century.
The Education & Formative Years Of Doctor Ruth Deborah Gates
Ruth Deborah Gates was born on March 28th, 1962. She was born in Akrotiri, which is an area controlled by the British on the island of Cyprus. She was born to John Amos Gates, a Royal British Airforce Intelligence Officer, & Muriel Peel Gates, a physiotherapist. With her father in the military, she was always moving around as a child. For her education, she was sent to a boarding school in Kent, England. Her intense fascination with the ocean & coral biology was always present, however, it truly began to blossom during her university years. She enrolled & studied at the esteemed Newcastle University, & earned a Bachelor of Science in Marine Biology Biology. Graduating in 1984, she went on a diving trip to the West Indies to study coral. On this trip, she became absolutely enraptured by them. Soon after, in 1985, she moved to the West Indies to study these corals. She would get her doctorate in Marine Biology in the year 1990, from the same university. Her thesis was on the subject of Seawater temperature & algal-cnidarian symbiosis.
The Career & Later Life Of Doctor Ruth Deborah Gates
Her first large research project was about coral bleaching events in Jamaica. Soon after, she would conduct research at the University Of California, Los Angeles, & the University of Hawai’i. She officially joined the University of Hawai’i in 2003. It is here where she studied how coral reefs function, & what made some corals survive high temperatures. In the year 2013, the Paul G. Allen Family Foundation offered 10,000$ to anyone or any group who could offer the most promising proposal to mitigate the effects of ocean acidification. Gates & another scientist, Madeline Van Oppen, a scientist with the Australian Institute of Marine Science, rose to the challenge. They managed to develop highly resilient coral strains, & won the award. Along with the 10,000 dollars, the foundation granted them a 4 million dollar grant, with the long-term goal of developing a stock of coral strains that can replace certain dying coral reefs of the world. Despite criticism of the logistics, & financial support required for such undertakings, the scientist persevered. In 2014, her brother, Timothy Gates, introduced her to Robin Burton, who would later become her wife. The pair would be in September of 2018. & remained married until Gate’s passing. In 2015, founded & directed the Gates Coral Laboratory, at the Hawai’i Institute of Marine Biology. She would direct the laboratory for 3 more years, until her unfortunate passing. Gates & her team hosted the first coral restoration conference at the Hawai’i Institute Of Marine Biology in 2017, which brought together some of the world's best coral biologists to discuss coral restoration. Doctor Ruth Deborah Gates passed away at the age of 56, on October 25th in Kailua, Hawai’i. She passed at Castle Hospital. She passed away due to complications from a surgery related to diverticulitis. Purportedly, she also had cancer that had spread to her brain. Throughout her life, she enjoyed karate, & earned a third-degree black belt in it. She had a deep respect for the martial art, so much so that she started a small school for it in Hawai’i. Additionally, she learned how to remodel homes, & mastered the art of cooking. Throughout her career, she was always accessible to the public, & did a lot of public speaking & a few interviews. The super corals that she engineered will have an incredible impact on coral ecosystems, as well as humans. Her contributions to coral reef biology will not be forgotten, & her contributions will have a long-lasting impact on the coral reefs of our world.
The Accomplishments, Achievements, Awards, & Honourables Of Ruth Deborah Gates
Achievement No. 1: She Founded The Gates Coral Laboratory, which is still in operation at the time of publishing.
Achievement No. 2: She was awarded the Regents Medal for Excellence in Research.
Achievement No. 3: She engineered super corals that can survive extremely high temperatures, along with scientist Madeline Van Oppen.
Directories / Credits
Citation No. 1: “In Memoriam: Ruth D. Gates”, Written By Unknown, & Published at an Unknown Date. Published By the University of Hawai’i. Retrieval Date: March 23rd, 2024.
Citation No. 2: “Ruth Gates, Who Made Saving Coral Reefs Her Mission, Is Dead at 56”, Written By Katharine Q. Seeyle, & Published on November 5th, 2018. Published by the New York Times. Retrieval Date: March 23rd, 2024.
Citation No. 3: “Ruth D. Gates (1962-2018)”, Written by Peter J. Edmunds, & Doctor M. Weis, & Published on December 10th, 2018. Published by Springer Nature. Retrieval Date: March 23rd, 2024.
Citation No. 4: “Ruth Gates Obituary” Written by Barbara Brown, & Published on November 22nd, 2018. Published by The Guardian. Retrieval Date: March 23rd, 2024.
Citation No. 5: “Ruth Gates, renowned coral scientist & conservation advocate, dies at 56”, Written by Christie Wilcox & Published on October 31st, 2018. Retrieval Date: March 23rd, 2024.
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