[Coral-List] Dr. Shimrit Perkol-Finkel - tragic death

[Yehuda Benayahu]

Dear Coral-liters,

It is with deep sorrow and pain that we report the death of my past graduate student, Dr. Shimrit Perkol-Finkel, in a fatal traffic accident in the heart of Tel Aviv.  Shimrit was only 45 years old. The mind cannot as yet absorb this heart-breaking and tragic event. Shimrit was an innovator, scientist and entrepreneur, and a wife and mother of three. She was an outstanding woman and a brilliant marine biologist with an enormous passion for the marine world and for coral reefs in particular. She was the co-founder of ECOncrete(r) -  a company whose innovative projects offer high-performance, environmentally-sensitive strong and durable concrete solutions that enhance the biological and ecological value of urban, coastal, and marine infrastructure.   Shimrit was involved in various reef restoration projects and published keystone studies on coral-reef rehabilitation. She won numerous prestigious international awards,  among which ECOncrete(r)  was one of TIME Magazine's 100 Best Inventions of 2019. This annual list recognizes 100 ground-breaking inventions that are making the world a better place; and this was Shimrit's mission. It is tragic that her infinite passion for coral reefs has come to so untimely an end; but we will all forever remember and respect her achievements.

Sincerely,
Hudi

Yehuda Benayahu, Ph.D
Professor (emeritus) of Marine Biology
School of Zoology, George S. Wise Faculty of Life Sciences
Tel Aviv University, Ramat Aviv, Tel Aviv 69978, ISRAEL
Tel: +972-3-6409090/7292, Fax: +972-3-6409403
https://en-lifesci.tau.ac.il/profile/yehudab
http://tut6we.wix.com/yehudabenayahu
http://www.tascmar.eu/project