The Sarasota community and beyond are remembering Dr. Eugenie Clark, the famous “Shark Lady” who founded Mote Marine Laboratory in Southwest Florida.

Clark died at age 92 on Feb. 25, in the company of family at her home in Sarasota, due to complications from battling lung cancer for years.

Those who worked with her at Mote said she undertook her last ocean dive in 2014 in the Gulf of Aqaba, and her latest research was in review for publication when she passed away.

“I just feel sad that I lost a friend,” said Dr. Kumar Mahadevan, the former President of Mote.  “She had a great life.  Until the last minute, she was happy and doing what she wanted to do.”

Clark, an ichthyologist, was an expert on sharks and tropical sand fishes. A diver and explorer, Clark conducted 71 submersible dives as deep as 12,000 feet and led over 200 field research expeditions to the Red Sea, Caribbean, Mexico, Japan, Palau, Papua New Guinea, the Solomon Islands, Thailand, Indonesia and Borneo to study sand fishes, whale sharks, deep sea sharks and spotted oceanic triggerfish.

She also wrote three popular books and more than 175 articles, including research publications in leading peer-reviewed journals such as Science and a dozen popular stories in National Geographic magazine.

In 1955, Clark and her fisherman assistant started the one-room Cape Haze Marine Laboratory in Placida, Fla., with philanthropic support and hearty encouragement from the Vanderbilt family.

The lab thrived in partnership with its community and became Mote Marine Laboratory in 1967 to honor major benefactor William R. Mote.
Today the lab is based on City Island, Sarasota, and it hosts 24 diverse marine research and conservation programs, education programs for all ages and a major public Aquarium.

The Lab has six campuses in Florida and more than 200 staff, including scientists who have worked in oceans surrounding all seven continents.

In 2010, Bay News 9 spoke to Clark. She said she never once feared sharks.

“There's just a few of us that used to go in shark-infested waters and swim around with sharks,” said Clark. “Even today some people think it's too dangerous to do.  It's not if you behave properly.”

Clark, a New York native, said she became interested in sharks at the age of 9 while visiting an aquarium. By age 20, she said she was swimming with them and never stopped.

Co-workers said Clark spent her final days among family, friends and colleagues from the Lab. They said her scientific discoveries will continue to inform and inspire people around the globe.

“There was absolutely no one like Genie Clark,” said Dr. Michael P. Crosby, President and CEO of Mote. “Her fascination with fishes and dedication to research changed marine science forever; her life story set an example for women in science and countless others who are striving to make a positive impact; her graciousness and warmth opened hearts and made ocean knowledge more accessible to many; and above all, her leadership and legacy sparked a tradition of world-class marine research and education that will continue for generations. Her passion for science and her freedom to pursue that science at Mote continue to inspire us all.

"Clark’s passing is not only touching the Mote community, but people all over the world.”

“We’re getting condolences, memories, thoughts, from all over the world,” said Dr. Robert Hueter, Director of the Center for Shark Research at Mote.  Condolences are coming to us by e-mail, telephone, and through social media.”  

Hueter said Genie was known as the “Shark Lady” because her shark research was so innovative and she was dedicated to teaching the truth about sharks.  

“In the early days of Mote Marine Laboratory, Genie discovered that sharks could be trained to learn visual tasks as fast as some mammals," Hueter said. "This was groundbreaking knowledge, which Genie published in the top scientific journal Science. Through her singular efforts, Genie established Mote's 60-year legacy in shark research, ultimately leading to Mote's designation by the U.S. Congress as the site of the nation’s only Center for Shark Research. We are all extremely grateful to her and will miss her inquisitive, energetic and loving spirit forever.”

Clark is also widely known for studying sand fishes, particularly in the Red Sea. For example, she found that a Red Sea fish called the Moses sole secretes a natural shark repellent substance.

Over dozens of expeditions in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aqaba, Clark became a champion of conservation there. She advocated to preserve the Ras Mohammad area of the Red Sea, a place of stunning coral reefs. Her voice provided crucial support and the area became Egypt’s first national park in 1983.

Today, the Red Sea and Gulf of Aqaba remain critical areas of focus for Mote.

Clark is the recipient of three honorary degrees and numerous awards including The Explorers Club Medal; the Medal of Excellence from the American Society of Oceanographers; The NOGI award in Arts from Underwater Society of America; the Dugan Award in Aquatic Sciences from the American Littoral Society; a Gold Medal from the Society of Women Geographers; the Distinguished Fellow Award from the American Elasmobranch Society; and the Franklin L. Burr Award from the National Geographic Society.

Several fish species have been named in her honor: Callogobius clarki (Goren), Sticharium clarkae (George and Springer), Enneapterygius clarkae (Holleman), and Atrobucca geniae (Ben-Tuvia and Trewavas).

She has written three popular books: Lady with a Spear (1951), describing her adventures in Micronesia and the Red Sea; The Lady and the Sharks (1969), which chronicles starting the Cape Haze Marine Laboratory; and The Desert Beneath the Sea (1991), a children's book written with Ann McGovern describing a scientist researching the sandy bottom of the sea.

Clark is survived by her four children: Hera, Aya, Tak and Niki Konstantinou.

Mote Marine Laboratory is planning with Clark’s family to hold a public celebration of her life in the coming weeks. Details will be announced.

In lieu of flowers, you can honor Clark’s life by supporting her Lab through the Dr. Eugenie Clark Memorial Research Endowment Fund: www.mote.org/geniememorialfund