Eugenie “the Shark Lady” Clark, who dove deep into marine science in life, surfaced posthumously on a Forever stamp.
The U.S. Postal Service announced in November a Forever USA stamp would honor Clark, a world authority on sharks and founding director of Mote Marine Laboratory.
Clark was known as “Genie” to colleagues and friends and also as “the Shark Lady” for her research and educational programs advancing knowledge and understanding of sharks and other marine life.
When she died at age 92 in February 2015, The New York Times reported Clark’s “childhood rapture with fish in a New York City aquarium led to a life of scholarly adventure in the littorals and depths of the Seven Seas and to a global reputation as a marine biologist and expert on sharks.”
The collage art on the stamp includes a photograph of Clark and a lemon shark and blue waves to create an underwater scene.
Artist Amanda Phingbodhipakkiya designed and created the stamp.
Another 2022 release, a series, showcases U.S. marine sanctuaries and marine national monuments, with a photograph on the front and a National Marine Sanctuary System map on the back of 16 stamps.
The postal service also announced new stamps observing the Year of the Tiger, celebrating flora and fauna, commemorating civil rights advancements and acknowledging achievements in art, music and more.
“The new 2022 stamps are miniature works of art, designed to be educational and appeal to collectors and pen pals around the world,” William Gicker, USPS stamp services director, said in a news release earlier this month. “As always, the program offers a variety of subjects celebrating American culture and history. The vivid colors and unique designs of this year’s selections will add a special touch of beauty on your envelopes.”
The USPS could change the designs, as well as add more stamps in the new year.
