[Coral-List] Bob Kinzie

[Deborah Gochfeld]

Robert A. Kinzie III, Professor Emeritus in Zoology at the University of Hawai’i at Manoa and the Hawai’i Institute of Marine Biology, passed away on December 31, 2022, while visiting his sons in California with his wife, Joy.  Dr. Bob, as known to friends and colleagues, first came to the University of Hawai’i in the 1960s to do his master’s research on stomatopods. He then completed his Ph.D. at Yale under G. Evelyn Hutchinson, where he studied gorgonian ecology at the Discovery Bay Marine Laboratory in Jamaica. He later returned to the University of Hawai’i, where he served as professor and ecologist from 1972 until his retirement in 2009. During that time, he maintained a lab at the Hawai‘i Institute of Marine Biology’s Coral Reef Ecology “Point” Laboratory on Coconut Island, until his unexpected passing. Bob’s research focused on the coral-zooxanthella symbiosis on coral reefs and on stream ecosystems, fields that he believed were integrally connected on “high oceanic islands, with amphidromous fauna,” such as Hawai’i. Bob’s foundational research on cnidarian-dinoflagellate symbioses contributed to our understanding of how coral reefs operate and how they might respond to environmental perturbations.

Dr. Bob actively embraced all aspects of Hawaiian culture and its natural environment. He was a Sensei at the Windward Aikido Club, active in the Cross-fit community, and was single-handedly responsible for the founding of Jefferson Airplane, the 1960s-70s rock band (see tribute from Jorma Kaukonen at https://jormakaukonen.com/cracksinthefinish/?p=10220). Bob’s sensitivity, curiosity and sense of responsibility to the natural environment were reflected in all aspects of his personal and professional life.  His reach was exemplified by his extensive network of collaborators worldwide, and the encouragement and enthusiasm he bestowed upon students of all ages and ethnicities. Readily identified by his signature long hair and beard, his gentle nature and generosity will be missed by all who knew him.