Dr. Eugenie Clark – The “Shark lady”

Ichthyologist

Born: May 4, 1992, New York City, U.S. A.
Died: February 25, 2015, Sarasota, Florida, U.S.A.

Eugenie Clark was a pioneering scientist who broke gender barriers and made groundbreaking discoveries about sharks, transforming how we understand and protect ocean life.

Also known as the ‘Shark Lady,’ Clark was a scientist who made history by diving deep into the ocean to study fish, especially sharks. At a time when women were discouraged from becoming scientists, Clark followed her dream anyway. When she told her mother she wanted to be like the famous explorer William Beebe, her mother suggested she become his secretary instead. But young Eugenie replied, “No! I want to do those things myself!”

Clark’s father died when she was only two years old, and her mother worked hard to support them. When Eugenie was around nine, her mother would drop her off at the New York Aquarium on weekends while she worked at a newsstand. Eugenie loved watching the sea creatures, especially the sharks. She dreamed of swimming with them one day. That dream became her life’s work.
Clark earned her Bachelor of Arts in Zoology from Hunter College in 1942. She studied marine life each summer and worked with expert scientists. But when she applied to Columbia University for graduate school, she was rejected, because they assumed she would quit to raise a family. Still, she didn’t give up. She went on to earn her master’s degree and PhD in Zoology from New York University.

Eugenie Clark was one of the first scientists to use scuba diving to observe fish in their natural environment. This was unusual at the time, especially for a woman. She traveled around the world to study sea life, especially in the Red Sea near Egypt. There, she discovered several new fish species that were later named after her. One exciting discovery was the Moses sole, a fish that produces a natural chemical to keep sharks away. This chemical is now used to help protect divers.

Clark’s first book, Lady with a Spear, made her well known and caught the attention of Anne and William Vanderbilt. They helped her open a small lab in Florida in 1955, which became the famous Mote Marine Laboratory and Aquarium. Today, Mote is a leading research center, helping animals like manatees, sea turtles, and sharks, and protecting ocean habitats like coral reefs.

After 10 years in Florida, Clark moved into teaching. She inspired students at the City University of New York and the University of Maryland for more than 30 years. She also wrote over 175 scientific papers, helped create more than 20 ocean TV specials, and was part of the first-ever IMAX movie. Throughout her life, she received many awards and honors for her work.

Clark made over 200 research trips around the world and took part in more than 70 deep-sea submersible dives. She kept diving well into her 90s, making her final dive in 2014 at the age of 92. The research she collected during that last dive was still being studied after her death.

Eugenie Clark passed away from lung cancer on February 25, 2015. But her legacy lives on. She broke barriers for women in science, helped people understand that sharks are not just dangerous killers, and worked to protect the ocean and its creatures. Eugenie Clark showed that with passion, courage, and determination, you can explore the depths of both the ocean and your dreams.

References:
Gallagher, Ashley. “Eugenie Clark - The Shark Lady.” Smithsonian Ocean, 11 May 2023, ocean.si.edu/ocean-life/sharks-rays/eugenie-clark-shark-lady.
US Department of Commerce, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. “Dr. Eugenie Clark (1922-2015).” NOAA’s National Ocean Service, 1 May 2015,oceanservice.noaa.gov/news/may15/eugenie-clark.html.

Key words:
Science, Innovation, Courage, Perseverance, Achievement, Responsibility, Challenge Injustices, Make a Difference

Explore ARTEFFECT projects about this Unsung Hero:
Eugenie Clark artworks