Dr. Eugenie Clark; ichthyologist, marine biologist and oceanographer; who earned the nickname, “the Shark Lady,” has died at her home in Sarasota Florida, at the age of 92.  Her research on the behavior of sharks helped the public understand and appreciate the often maligned species. She was also a pioneer in the field of scuba-diving for research purposes.

As reported by the New York Times:  Long before “Jaws” scared the wits out of swimmers, Dr. Clark rode a 40-foot whale shark off Baja California, ran into killer great white sharks while scuba diving in Hawaii, studied “sleeping” sharks in undersea caves off the Yucatán, witnessed a shark’s birth and found a rare six-gill shark in a submersible dive off Bermuda.

She also swam into schools of man-eating barracuda and had disconcerting encounters with 500-pound clams and giant squid. Despite close calls, she was never attacked, and she tended to make light of the dangers. Indeed, she told of the privileges of exploring an undersea world of exotic creatures and enchanting beauty.

Dr. Clark was a longtime professor at the University of Maryland and director of the Mote Marine Laboratory in Sarasota. A video of Dr. Clark from 2006:

Dr. Eugenie Clark on Mote