She is known for her paintings of women and children, which because it didn't take away from the male artists' prestige since they didn't paint such things, she was allowed to paint and exhibit with them. At 21, she discovered the location of eggs of eels that were one of the great mysteries of science for 2,000 years.
Eels are an important food source in many areas.
In later years she was awarded US Navy's Distinguished Public Service Award for her work in oceanography and as a marine biologist. One of her inventions enabled the Navy to distinguish between large schools of fish and enemy submarines using early sonar. Both resigned from the organization when it differed from their aims. She was editor of The Dial, a literary magazine from 1840-1842, and was also a literary critic. A staunch feminist.