SARASOTA -- The US Postal Service is honoring the scientific founder of Sarasota's Mote Marine Lab with a "Forever" stamp that came out this past week, on the 100th anniversary of her birth.
Eugenie Clark was an ichtyhologist who became known as the "Shark Lady" for her pioneering research on the fish. Mote CEO Michael Crosby says Clark's discoveries included the realization that sharks have intelligence and their behaviors can be modified.
After working around the world, Clark came to Southwest Florida in the 1950s at the invitation of Anne and William Vanderbilt. They wanted her to research shark and fish populations in the Gulf after noting that many were of the same species as those she had studied in the Middle East.
Clark set up a small research facility in Charlotte County. The Cape Haze Marine Laboratory was moved north to Sarasota and renamed Mote Marine Lab for benefactor William R. Mote. After leaving in the 1960s, Clark returned in 2000 and worked with Mote until her death in 2015.
Crosby says Clark, a Japanese-American who was a pioneer not only in research but broke ground as a woman, is an inspiration to anyone who wishes to follow their passions.
Listen to an interview with Michael Crosby below:
Photo: US Postal Service