# 5693a - 2022 First-Class Forever Stamp - Imperforate Eugenie Clark

US #5693a
2022 Eugenie Clark (Imperforate)

• Honors influential marine biologist Eugenie Clark (“Shark Lady”)

Stamp Category:  Commemorative
Value:  First Class Mail Rate (Forever)
First Day of Issue:  May 4, 2022
First Day City:  Sarasota, Florida
Quantity Issued:  18,000,000 (Includes die-cut AND imperforate stamps.  The exact quantity of imperforate stamps is unknown, but it is only a tiny fraction of the total print quantity, making the imperforates much scarcer than traditional die-cut stamps.)
Printed by:  Banknote Corporation of America
Printing Method:  Offset
Format:  Pane of 20
Tagging:  Phosphor, block tag

Why the stamp was issued:  To commemorate Eugenie Clark and her countless contributions to the fields of marine biology, scuba diving, and shark research.

About the stamp design:  Pictures a digital collage along with a photograph of Clark taken by David Doubilet in addition to a photograph of a lemon shark taken by Reinhard Dirscherl.  The stamp was designed by artist Amanda Phingbodhipakkiya using a number of different methods to evoke an underwater scene.

First Day City:  The First Day of Issue Ceremony was held at Mote Marine Laboratory & Aquarium in Sarasota, Florida.  Clark was a founding director of the laboratory and aquarium.

History the stamp represents:  Eugenie “Genie” Clark (May 4, 1922 – February 25, 2015) was a world-renowned marine biologist best known for her work with sharks.  Nicknamed “The Shark Lady,” she was also a trailblazer in the field of scuba diving – especially for use in marine research.

Clark was born in New York City to an American father and Japanese mother.  She was interested in the ocean at an early age and visited the New York Awuarium for the first time when she was nine years old.  Clark studied zoology at Hunter College and then later obtained her Doctorate of Zoology from New York University.  While an undergraduate, she spent her summers studying at the University of Michigan Biological Station.

Clark traveled around the world pursuing her passion.  She wrote her first book, Lady with a Spear, in 1953, and published many scientific research papers over the years.  She became famous among fishermen and marine biology students for her many discoveries regarding fish and shark behavior.

Clark earned many awards for her work and also had several fish species named after her.  In 2022, the United States Postal Service issued a Forever stamp in her honor.  It is a fitting tribute to the woman who forever changed the course of marine biology.