Eugenie Clark

Dr. Eugenie Clark, (born May 4, 1922), popularly called the Shark lady, is an American ichthyologist known for her research on poisonous fishes of the tropical seas and on the behaviour of sharks.

Additional recommended knowledge

Weighing the right way

How to ensure accurate weighing results every day?

How to quickly check pipettes?

Personal life

She was born 4 of May 1922 and was raised in New York City. She has 4 children; Hera, Aya, Tak and Niki. Her interest in fish began when she was nine and visited the aquarium [1].

Academic life

She earned her Ph. D. degree from New York University in 1950 for her work on the reproduction of species of platys and swordtail fish [2]. She is the founding director (1955 to 1967) of the Cape Haze Marine Laboratory in Sarasota, Florida[3]. She joined the Department of Biology at the University of Maryland, College Park in 1968, she still holds the title of Senior Research Scientist and Professor Emerita even though she has retired from teaching. She has studied the behavior, ecology and taxonomy of fishes for over 50 years, especially that of sharks. She has received three honorary D.Sc. degrees and awards from the National Geographic Society, the Explorers Club, the Underwater Society of America and the American Littoral Society.

Bite incident

While working at the Marine Experiment Station in Sarasota Dr. Clark investigated a shark biting incident. Eight-year-old Douglas Lawton was viciously attacked by a shark while playing with his brother who was twelve at the time. The two boys were merely ten feet from shore on the Gulf side of Longboat Key near Sarasota. This was on July 27, 1958 at 4:10 P.M.

Douglas screamed and was almost dragged beneath the water while his brother grabbed him and his parents, an aunt, and an uncle raced to rescue him. The water quickly turned red with blood and Douglas' relatives saw the shark distinctly. It was gripping the boy's left thigh. The shark was described as being five feet in length, a blue-gray color, with a slender and streamlined physique.

The shark refused to let go of the boy in his jaws even when the four adults dragged the boy to the very shallow water of the beach. Becoming quite agitated Douglas' father pulled the shark by the tail while the uncle pounded on its head. The shark finally released its jaws and disappeared in the shallow water of swash channel close by the beach. The boy was quickly transported to a local hospital. Here his leg was amputated close to the hip.

Dr. Eugenie Clark conducted thorough questioning of the witnesses and a close inspection of Douglas' amputated leg. She believed the attack was made by a young tiger shark. Her conclusion was confirmed by comparing the wounds with preserved jaws of tiger sharks. It was clear that the teeth had been strongly asymmetrical.

The Shark Repellent

She once saw that if you touched a flatfish called Moses sole, milky white liquid would ooze out and it felt tingly on your fingers. When she discovered this she started testing the liquid with other types of fish.

After many tests she decided to test it with sharks. She found a Moses sole that still had some liquid and tied it with string and lowered it into the water. She watched as the shark swam towards the fish but stopped abruptly in front of it and looking as if its mouth were frozen. After a moment, the shark swam away from the poisonous fish. As a result she performed more experiments with the fish and the sharks and finally confirmed that the poisonous substance would "repel" sharks.

She then decided to test this with sharks out in the ocean. She tied many varieties of fish each to a line and cast them into the water. One by one, the fish were eaten but the sharks kept avoiding the Moses sole fish.

Awards and Honors

• Women of Discovery Award (2006), WINGS WorldTrust

A. Honorary Degrees

1992 Honorary Doctor of Science, University of Massachusetts, Dartmouth 1995 Honorary Doctor of Science, University of Guelph, Ontario 1995 Honorary Doctor of Science, Long Island University, New York

B. Grants and Contracts

1950-51 Smithsonian Institution (India) 1951-64 Office of Naval Research 1958-70 National Science Foundation 1969-98 National Geographic Society, Committee for Research & Exploration (13 grants) 1977 NOAA Sea Grant 1984-85 U.S. - Israel Binational Science Foundation (Extramural support for field work managed through the University of Maryland Foundation), CoPI:Elia Zlotkin

C. Scholarships and Fellowships

1949 Pacific Science Board Scholarship (Micronesia) 1949 Atomic Energy Commission Fellowship 1950 Fulbright Scholarship (Egypt) 1952 Eugene Saxton Memorial Fellowship 1952 Breadloaf Writers' Fellowship 1959 Scholarship of the Finger Lakes University

D. Honors and Awards

1952 Hunter College Alumni Award 1953 Mademoiselle Merit Award in Science 1964 Hadassah Myrtle Wreath Award in Science 1965 Marquis Who's Who Citation, outstanding women in science 1965 Underwater Society of America, NOGI Award in Arts 1965 American Academy of Achievement, Golden Plate Award, Science 1969 American Littoral Society, Dugan Award in Aquatic Sciences 1972 Hunter College, Hall of Fame Award 1973 Boston Sea Rovers, Cousteau Award, underwater science 1974 Mayor Rizzo, Liberty Bell Award, Philadelphia 1975 University of Maryland Honors Convocation 1976 Fellow, American Association for the Advancement of Science 1978 Diver of the Year Award, Boston Sea Rovers 1982 John Stoneman Marine Environmental Award 1982 University of Maryland Outstanding Woman Award 1986 Lowell Thomas Award for Undersea Exploration, Explorers Club 1986 Best Nature Film Award, Wildscreen International Film Festival For NATUREWATCH - EC Râs Mohammed 1986 Ocean Hero, Year of the Ocean (1984-85) 1988 Underwater Society of America, NOGI Award in Science 1989 Maryland Women's Hall of Fame 1990 NASPA, Woman of Distinction Award 1990 Honorary Citizen and Key to the City of Sarasota, FL. 1991 Phi Kappa Phi, Faculty Award 1991 Alpha Lambda Delta, Honorary Member 1991 NAUI Award for Outstanding Contribution to Diving 1992 Bryant High School, Hall of Fame 1993 DEMA (Diving Equipment Manufacturers Assoc.), Hall of Fame Award 1993 National Geographic Society, Franklin L. Burr Award 1994 Honorary President of 27th Festival Mondial de l'Image Sous Marine at Antibes, France 1995 Honored as Founding Director, Mote Marine Laboratory (at 40th Anniversary) 1995 Honorary Director, Explorers Club 1996 Emmy Award, Maryland Public Television, Capital Region 1999 American Elasmobranch Society, Distinguished Fellow Award

E. Medals

1970 Mademoiselle, Silver Medal 1975 Society of Women Geographers, Gold Medal 1981 David B. Stone Medal for distinguished service to environment and community 1984 Governor of South Sinai, Egypt, Medal 1988 Governor of Red Sea, Egypt, Medal 1993 President's Medal, University of Maryland at College Park 1994 Medal of Excellence, American Society of Oceanographers

F. Flag-Carrying Honors

1962 Carried flag of Society of Woman Geographers to Ethiopia 1980 Carried flag of National Geographic Society to Egypt, Israel, Australia, Japan, and Mexico 1982 Carried flag of Society of Woman Geographers underwater off Japan and Egypt 1986 Carried flag of the Explorers Club on the "First American Diving Expedition to South China" 1988 Carried flags of Society of Women Geographers, Explorers' Club and the National Geographic Society to the bottom of Monterey Canyon (12,000 feet)

G. Fishes Named for E. Clark

1978 Callogobius clarki (Goren) - Family Gobiidae 1980 Sticharium clarkae George and Springer - Family Clinidae 1982 Enneapterygius clarkae Holleman - Family Tripterygiidae 1987 Atrobucca geniae Ben-Tuvia and Trewavas - Family Scienidae

H. Building Named for E. Clark

1988 Home Room building, Pine View Elementary School, Sarasota, FL.

I. Books Dedicated to E. Clark

1966 The Insane World of Adolf Hitler, Chandler Brossard. 1978 The Man Who Rode Sharks, Bill Royal, Dodd, Mead and Co., NY. 1994 ET, Ro, and Genie: An Anthology in Honour of Women Ichthyologists, Environmenal Biology of Fishes, Kluwer Academic Publishers. J. Profiles on E. Clark as Chapters in Books

1967 Your Future In Oceanography by N. Garber, Rosen Press, New York. 

1976 The Shark Book by R. Ellis, Grosset and Dunlap, New York. 1976 Women in Sports by H. Hauser, Harvey House, New York. 1977 Contributions of Women in Science by D. Emberlin, Dillon Press. 1977 Minority Americans in the Agricultural and Life Sciences, U. of Md. 1979 Great Shark Stories by V. Taylor, Harper and Row, New York. 1978 Wild Animals, Gentle Women by Margery Facklam, Harcourt Brace Jovanovich. 1980 Women and Wilderness by Ann LaBastille, Sierra Club. 1985 The Nature-Watchers by R. Brown & J. Pettifer. Collins, London, pp. 17-22 and 37-45. 1987 Call to Adventure by H. Hauser. Bookmaker Guild Inc. Longmont, CA. pp. 137-145. 1990 The Adventurous Aquanaunt by H. Hauswer, pp. 201-216. 1991 Living Dangerously by D. Rappaport. Harper & Collins, pp. 71-86. 1973-91 Clark, E., 21 short profiles with excerpts from E. Clark's writings as chapters in textbooks for school children. 1994 Contemporary Women Scientists by Lisa Yount, Facts on File, NY, pp. 54-71. 1994 Environmental Biology of Fishes by Eugene K. Balon, Vol. 41, pp. 89-114. 1998 Sea of Dreamers by Phil Trupp, Fulcrum Publishing, Colorado, pp. 164-187 1999 Oceanographers and Explorers of the Sea by Kirk Polking, Enslow Publishers, pp.

K. Biographies

1998 McGovern, Ann. Adventures of the Shark Lady: Eugenie Clark Around the World, Scholastic Book Services, New York. (paperback) 1978 McGovern, Ann. Shark Lady, True Adventures of Eugenie Clark, Scholastic Book Services, New York. (paperback) 1979 McGovern, Ann. Shark Lady, True Adventures of Eugenie Clark, Four Winds Press, New York. (hardback) 1981 McGovern, Ann. 1981. French ed. La femme aux requins, les veritables aventures d' Eugenie Clark, Scholastic-Tab Inc., Ontario, Canada. (paperback)

References

• Short Resume
• Long Resume
• Helm Thomas, Shark, Unpredictable Killer of the Sea, Collier Books, 1961, Pages 92 & 93.