Legendary Shark Lady Eugenie Clark Has Died at Age 92

February 28, 2015 6:46 PM

Icthyologist, shark behaviorist, ocean explorer, and passionate conservationist, Dr. Eugenie Clark died on Wednesday from lung cancer. She was 92.

Although she studied many fish, her passion was sharks, and she devoted much of her life to educating the public, debunking myths, and showing how fascinating sharks could be.

How do you get a shark bite while in a car? The Shark Lady: Dr. Eugenie Clark Reflects on a Lifetime of Fish Study

Dr. Clark in the International Scuba Divers Hall of Fame

Maryland Women's Hall of Fame

Marine Biologist Eugenie Clark Remembered As Passionate Shark Advocate

Watch Very '80s Footage of 'Shark Lady' Eugenie Clark at Work

posted by MissySedai (21 comments total)

I had a book about her when I was a kid, and it was one of the few clues I had, growing up in a conservative catholic community, that women could be scientists. Thank you, Dr. Clark.
posted by toodleydoodley at 6:49 PM on February 28, 2015 [7 favorites]

I think I had that same book.
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posted by paulcole at 7:10 PM on February 28, 2015 [1 favorite]

Me too. She wasn't the only clue I had growing up that women could be scientists, but her story was a landmark for me as a kid. I still remember the description of her early shark behavior experiments.
posted by sciatrix at 7:24 PM on February 28, 2015 [1 favorite]

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(yes, I had the Scholastic book “Shark Lady”, too.)
posted by scruss at 8:06 PM on February 28, 2015

I read it too. Kinda wanted to be her when I grew up.
posted by Akhu at 8:18 PM on February 28, 2015

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More like this lady please.
posted by arcticseal at 9:13 PM on February 28, 2015

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posted by Lowwen at 9:16 PM on February 28, 2015

Sorry, I just have to say.. when I was young I saw a photograph of Dr. Clark examining some shark embryos in a Time Life Nature book.. and I was really struck by just how beautiful she was! It was like the sort of crush a normal young person would have on a Hollywood actress. (I learned that Sharks are nice, too).
posted by ovvl at 9:17 PM on February 28, 2015

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posted by triage_lazarus at 9:26 PM on February 28, 2015

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posted by LobsterMitten at 9:52 PM on February 28, 2015

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posted by hydropsyche at 3:31 AM on March 1, 2015

As a near life-long shark enthusiast and supporter of their protection, this is tough news. Clark was the public face for a lot of the push back against the fear of sharks, and the hysterias of the last several years must have been tough (thanks, media!). Hers is a voice that we'll miss as the ecosystem continues to get more chaotic and we encroach on shark resources.

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posted by zombieflanders at 4:00 AM on March 1, 2015

She truly lived every week as if it were 'Shark Week'.

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posted by Fizz at 5:57 AM on March 1, 2015

When I was seven, I thought Eugenie boiling the rat on her grandmother's stove top without permission was just about the most daring thing ever.

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posted by notquitemaryann at 6:15 AM on March 1, 2015 [1 favorite]

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posted by allthinky at 6:20 AM on March 1, 2015

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posted by gingerbeer at 8:37 AM on March 1, 2015

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posted by fraula at 10:34 AM on March 1, 2015

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posted by Vindaloo at 12:17 PM on March 1, 2015

Oh yes, I adored her book as a child. I have a signed copy now. I heard her lecture about 25 years ago and she was just wonderful.
posted by JanetLand at 1:20 PM on March 1, 2015

I remember her too but from the mid-seventies. I must have seen her in National Geographic which I would pour over in search of anything about marine biology. I think my 14 year old self was a little hot for her.

I'm glad she had a full life.

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posted by kaymac at 7:52 PM on March 1, 2015

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I remember watching her on a Nova episode about sharks. (I was sort of obsessed with sharks back in the day) May she rest in peace.
posted by SisterHavana at 11:30 AM on March 2, 2015