A pioneering marine biologist whose work gained prominence in an award-winning documentary has died aged 56.
Ruth Gates spent her whole career learning about underwater organisms with a particular focus on the so-called “super corals” which are withstanding the rising sea temperatures caused by global warming.
Mrs Gates was born in Akrotiri, Cyprus, where her father was stationed with the RAF.
Hoping to follow in the footsteps of renowned French explorer and inventor Jacques Cousteau, she worked her way through BSc and PhD courses in marine biology at Newcastle University.
During her postgraduate degree she travelled to Jamaica where she studied the bleaching of coral reefs struggling to survive with rising water temperatures.
She then moved to the University of California Los Angeles where she built up her skills in molecular biology and evolutionary genetics.
Mrs Gates was made the director of the Hawaii Institute of Marine Biology in 2015.
There, working with Madeleine van Oppen from the Australian Institute of Marine Science, she conducted a range of time-consuming experiments to learn more about the development of super corals.
She inspected the reefs which did not lose their colour in warmer waters, then raised their offspring to see if their temperature tolerances has improved.
Work is now underway to see how this research can be put into practice and help slow some of the coral reef bleaching process.
At one stage she said: “I have watched some reefs disintegrate before my eyes.
“I just can’t bear the idea that future generations may not experience a coral reef.
“The mission is to start solving the problem, not just to study it.”
Mrs Gates appeared in the documentary Chasing Coral, which was produced for Netflix last year.
The film followed a team of divers, scientists and photographers investigating the disappearance of reefs around the world.
Released to high acclaim, it was given the US Documentary Audience Award at the 2017 Sundance Film Festival.
Back on dry land, Mrs Gates achieved a range of non-aquatic accomplishments.
In 2015 she was elected the first female president of the International Society for Reef Studies.
She was also a black belt in karate and helped set up a school in Hawaii to train others in the martial art.
Mrs Gates died last month from a complication following an operation.
She is survived by her wife, Robin Burton-Gates, and her brother Tim.
