Corals to be topic of next presentation in Faculty Lecture Series

University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa
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Posted: Oct 17, 2014

Dr. Ruth Gates
Dr. Ruth Gates

Coral reefs in Hawai‘i and across the globe continue to decline in health due to intensifying climate change, resource extraction and pollution. Although the future looks bleak, certain corals and reefs are not only surviving, but are thriving in conditions that kill others.

Join Dr. Ruth Gates for a talk on "The Wonderful World of Corals: Harnessing Basic Science to Address an Ecological Crisis," to be held Wednesday, November 5, 2014, at 11:30 a.m. in Hamilton Library Room 301.

Dr. Gates will unveil the complex biology that underpins this natural variation in response. She will then discuss how this knowledge can be harnessed to develop tools that build resilience on reefs, arresting and improving the prognosis for coral reefs.

Dr. Gates is a research professor with the Hawai‘i Institute of Marine Biology. Her broad interests lie in the biological mechanisms and traits that dictate the environmental thresholds of marine organisms. Specifically, she focuses on defining attributes in corals that underpin inter- and intra-specific differences in their sensitivity to thermal stress, ocean acidification and pollutants. She and her group work on coral reefs, tropical marine ecosystems that protect coastlines, support tourism and provide nutrition to many island nations.

This lecture is part of the Faculty Lecture Series: Sharing Our Work and Knowledge presented by the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa Office of the Vice Chancellor for Research and UH Mānoa Library.