RAFESAGARIN.COMUniversity of Arizona (UA) marine ecologist Raphael “Rafe” Sagarin was killed Thursday (May 28) when a pickup truck swerved partially off the road and hit Sagarin from behind while he was on his bicycle, the Arizona Daily Star reported. He was 43.

The driver, Gary Colvin, was allegedly impaired at the time and was charged with manslaughter.

Sagarin was leading a project at UA’s Biosphere 2 to create a living model of the Gulf of California. He was also an expert in adaptability and would consult with the American Red Cross, the US Department of Defense, and large corporations “on how they can unleash the natural power of adaptability to survive and thrive in an unpredictable world,” according to his website. His books included Learning from the Octopus: How Secrets from Nature Can Help Us Fight Terrorism, Natural Disasters, and Disease and Observation and Ecology: Broadening the Scope...

“Dr. Sagarin was committed to education and research, and understood that the Biosphere was a unique platform for science and education. He represented all of us in our commitment to quality and making things better,” Joaquin Ruiz, dean of the UA College of Science, said in a statement. “Rafe will be deeply missed. His energy and enthusiasm were contagious, and it was a blessing to have known such wonderful colleague.”

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