Announced November 1, 2022:

Affectionately known as the “Shark Lady,” pioneering marine biologist Eugenie Clark (1922-2015) spent her career working tirelessly to change public perception about sharks as well as to preserve marine environments around the world. The stamp art features a digital collage, including a photograph of Clark and a lemon shark. Wavy blue elements in the background evoke an undersea scene. Multidisciplinary artist Amanda Phingbodhipakkiya designed and created the stamp. Antonio Alcalá was the art director.

The Scott catalogue number for this issue is 5693.

Additional information will be posted below the line, with the newest at the top.

Updated March 30th:
Here are the designs for the first-day postmarks: The Digital Color Postmark measures 2.86″ x 1.46″. The Pictorial Postmark measures 2.75″ x 1.13″. The “Special” postmark is for use only by post offices after the first-day. We do not have a measurement for it.

Updated March 28th:

[press release] [click on any of the pictures for larger versions]
Aquatic Scholar Eugenie Clark To Be Honored With Forever Stamp

WHAT: The U.S. Postal Service will honor ichthyologist and oceanographer Eugenie Clark with a Forever stamp. The first-day-of-issue event will be held at the Mote Marine Laboratory & Aquarium in Sarasota, FL.

The event for the Eugenie Clark Forever stamp is free and open to the public. Share the news of the stamp with the hashtag #EugenieClarkStamp.

WHO: Angela Curtis, vice president retail and post office operations, U.S. Postal Service

Michael P. Crosby, president & CEO, Mote Marine Laboratory & Aquarium

Aya Konstantinou, daughter of Eugenie Clark

WHEN: Wednesday, May 4, 2022, at 11 a.m. EDT

WHERE: Mote Marine Laboratory & Aquarium
1600 Ken Thompson Parkway
Sarasota, FL 34236

RSVP: For free entrance to the ceremony, attendees are encouraged to RSVP at: usps.com/eugenieclark.

BACKGROUND: Affectionately known as the “Shark Lady,” pioneering marine biologist Eugenie Clark (1922-2015) spent her career working tirelessly to change public perception about sharks as well as to preserve marine environments around the world.

A prolific scientist animated by an unyielding sense of curiosity, Clark conducted a series of groundbreaking experiments and carried out more than 200 expeditions across the globe. She demonstrated that lemon sharks could be trained to do complex tasks, disproved the notion that some shark species must keep swimming in order to survive, and debunked myths about sharks as vicious, fearsome creatures. She also made significant contributions to the study of hermaphroditism in fishes, discovered several fish species, and even found that one species naturally repels sharks.

Clark was widely respected for her research as well as for her eager embrace of new advances in diving technology, knowing that each development would bring her closer to the creatures she loved. A pioneer in the era when scuba emerged as a research tool, she later took more than 70 trips in high-tech submersibles, sometimes as deep as 12,000 feet beneath the ocean surface — something that has still been done by only a small number of other marine biologists.

An inspiration to scientists and laypeople alike, Clark left an extraordinary legacy. Her life and career blazed a trail for women marine biologists and continue to excite new generations of scientists and explorers. For her contributions to marine science, she received the Franklin L. Burr Award from the National Geographic Society and was honored posthumously by Congress in 2015. A species of dogfish shark [right] newly discovered in the Gulf of Mexico was named Squalus clarkae [Wikipedia] in her honor in 2018.

Updated March 25th:
On May 4, 2022, in Sarasota, FL, the United States Postal Service® will issue the Eugenie Clark stamp (Forever® priced at the First-Class Mail® rate) in one design, in a pressure-sensitive adhesive (PSA) pane of 20 stamps (Item 482000). This stamp will go on sale nationwide May 4, 2022, and must not be sold or canceled before the first-day-of-issue.

This commemorative stamp honors pioneering marine biologist Eugenie Clark (1922–2015). Affectionately known as the “Shark Lady,” Clark demonstrated that lemon sharks could be trained to do complex tasks, disproved the notion that some shark species must keep swimming in order to survive, and debunked myths about sharks as vicious, fearsome creatures. The stamp features a digital collage. The design includes a photograph of Clark taken by David Doubilet as well as a photograph of a lemon shark taken by Reinhard Dirscherl. Wavy blue elements in the stamp‘s background evoke an undersea scene. The stamp was designed and created by multidisciplinary artist Amanda Phingbodhipakkiya. Antonio Alcalá served as art director for this stamp.

Item 482000, Eugenie Clark Pane of 20 Stamps: No automatic distribution.

There is a special dedication postmark for use by local post offices after the first-day.

How to Order the First-Day-of-Issue Postmark:
Customers have 120 days to obtain the first-day-of-issue postmark by mail. They may purchase new stamps at their local Post Office™ or at The Postal Store® website at usps.com/shop. They must affix the stamps to envelopes of their choice, address the envelopes (to themselves or others), and place them in a larger envelope addressed to:

FDOI – Eugenie Clark Stamp
USPS Stamp Fulfillment Services
8300 NE Underground Drive, Suite 300
Kansas City, MO 64144-9900

After applying the first-day-of-issue postmark, the Postal Service will return the envelopes through the mail. There is no charge for the postmark up to a quantity of 50. There is a 5-cent charge for each additional postmark over 50. All orders must be postmarked by September 4, 2022.

Technical Specifications:

Issue: Eugenie Clark Stamp
Item Number: 482000
Denomination & Type of Issue: First-Class Mail Forever
Format: Pane of 20
Series: N/A
Issue Date & City: May 4, 2022, Sarasota, FL 34230
Art Director: Antonio Alcalá, Alexandria, VA
Designer: Amanda Phingbodhipakkiya, Brooklyn, NY
Artist: Amanda Phingbodhipakkiya, Brooklyn, NY
Modeler: Sandra Lane/Michelle Finn
Manufacturing Process: Offset
Printer: Banknote Corporation of America
Press Type: Gallus RCS
Stamps per Pane: 20
Print Quantity: 18,000,000 stamps
Paper Type: Phosphor, Block Tag
Adhesive Type: Pressure-sensitive
Colors: Black, PMS 7531, PMS 1205, PMS 2151, PMS 2183, PMS 7416, PMS 7709
Stamp Orientation: Horizontal
Image Area (w x h): 1.42 x 0.84 in/36.068 x 21.336 mm
Overall Size (w x h): 1.56 x 0.98 in/39.624 x 24.892 mm
Full Pane Size (w x h): 7.24 x 5.92 in/183.896 x 150.368 mm
Press Sheet Size (w x h): 11.84 x 21.72 in/300.736 x 551.688 mm
Plate Size: 120 stamps per revolution
Plate Number: “B” followed by seven (7) single digits
Marginal Markings:
Front: Plate number in 4 corners
Back: ©2021 USPS • USPS logo • Two barcodes (482000) • Promotional text • Plate position diagram (6)

Updated January 13:
This stamp will be issued May 4 in Sarasota, FL, which will be the exact centennial of her birth.