Trailblazing marine biologist Eugenie Clark, who shed light on the secret life of sharks and discovered several species of fish during her long career, died Wednesday in Florida. She was 92.
Clark was born in New York City on May 4, 1922, and could swim before her second birthday. She became fascinated by sharks at a young age, and would spend her Saturdays at the New York Aquarium in lower Manhattan. She earned her BA in zoology from Hunter College and a master's degree and PhD from New York University, and became one of the few women to work in marine biology after World War II.
Because she conducted so much research on sharks, Clark earned the nickname "Shark Lady." She discovered sleeping sharks suspended in water, which disproved the belief that sharks had to move in order to breathe. After Jaws came out, Clark went into overdrive educating people about sharks, and wrote a National Geographic story titled, "Sharks: Magnificent and Misunderstood." She also was a pioneer in using scuba gear to conduct research under the sea, and kept diving into her 90s. "She never outgrew this absolute fascination of looking and seeing and observing under water," says her friend and colleague, National Geographic photographer David Doubilet.
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