“The Shark Lady” dies
Shark pioneer, Dr. Eugenie Clark, leaves a legacy of groundbreaking research
Dr. Eugenie Clark passed away yesterday February 25, 2015. “The Shark Lady” was and will continue to be an outstanding role model for all of us. She impacted the lives of so many. She was my teacher and mentor for over half my life. She taught me the value to never accept no and continually ask why. She made science come alive and an integral part of our daily life. Her science coupled with her sense of humor and fun made her a person from whom one learned and with whom one couldn’t wait to embark on adventures. She carried a twinkle in her eye and a compelling sense of mischief – there are many Dr. Eugenie Clark stories from all over the world! She possessed a rare talent for communicating science to the layperson as well as the professional. Whenever she spoke we listened.
Dr. Eugenie Clark published more than 175 articles in scientific journals (up to the just-published years-long study of sandfishes in AQUA) and popular magazines, conducted over 70 submersible dives—the deepest to 12,000 feet—and led more than 200 field research expeditions to the Red Sea, Caribbean, Mexico, Japan, Palau, Papua New Guinea, Solomon Islands, Thailand and Borneo. She wrote two popular bestsellers that were reprinted in many languages—Lady with a Spear (1951) and The Lady and the Sharks (1969.) She was a pioneer in the use of SCUBA diving for research and paved the way for women in a male-?dominated world of sharks and fishes. In the early 1950’s she started Mote Marine Lab as the Cape Haze Marine Laboratory in Sarasota, Florida in a shack on the beach. Today Mote is a world-?class research institution with classrooms, programs and an aquarium that continues her groundbreaking lifelong research.
Genie’s research with sharks started in the 1950’s when she began working with experiments proving that sharks can learn. Lemon sharks were trained to push targets and ring bells for food. In the Steinitz Marine Lab in Eilat, Israel, Genie conducted experiments with sharks that unlocked the secret of a shark repelling poison emitted by the Moses sole. This complex toxin proved to be both a hemo and neurotoxin that passes simultaneously through the circulatory and neurological systems.
Dr. Eugenie Clark was the recipient of numerous awards and honorary degrees including The Explorers Club Medal; Medal of Excellence from American society of Oceanographers; Underwater Society of America; Society of Women Geographers; the National Geographic Society; International SCUBA Diving Hall of Fame; Women Divers Hall of Fame; Legend of the Sea from Beneath the Sea; NOGI Award from the Academy of Underwater Arts and Sciences.
I am so fortunate to have been part of Genie’s sphere and worked worldwide with her on eight of the dozen stories she authored for National Geographic Magazine as well as participating in many of her expeditions. She so inspired me and influenced my life. Genie Clark’s lifelong work and her unique voice set the foundation for all the shark and ocean conservation programs now in the forefront of today’s world. She is a legend.
And another special tribute from WDHOF member Cathy Church: “Genie was my personal idol. I admired her more than anyone else in this industry because she stayed true to her passion. I never heard a bad word about her. She did not ride on anyone else’s coattails. She did it all on her own. She never took advantage of who she really was. She kept her feet in the water and kept her head out of the clouds. I hope I am not wrong on all of that but if so, she would still be my hero.”
May Genie rest in peace and her memory be honored and cherished by all who knew and loved her.
Joan Forsberg, Chair / Bonnie Toth, President
Women Divers Hall of Fame
www.wdhof.org