Photo: U.S. Department of Labor, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
Who She Is
Eugenie Clark was a Japanese-American ichthyologist and marine biologist whose pioneering research on sharks earned her the nickname "The Shark Lady." Born in New York City in 1922, Clark fell in love with the ocean as a child during visits to the New York Aquarium. She earned her Ph.D. in zoology from New York University, founded the Cape Haze Marine Laboratory in Florida (now Mote Marine Laboratory), and over a career spanning more than six decades published over 175 scientific papers and made 72 deep-sea submersible dives. Her research demonstrated that sharks are intelligent, trainable animals capable of learning and memory.
Why She Matters
Eugenie Clark changed the way the world thinks about sharks. At a time when most people viewed sharks with fear and hostility, her research revealed them to be complex, intelligent creatures deserving of study and protection. Clark was also a trailblazer as a woman and a person of Japanese descent in a field that was overwhelmingly white and male during much of her career. For aspiring zoologists, Clark's story shows that falling in love with an animal most people misunderstand can become the foundation for a career that changes how the entire world sees that creature.
