Can't find library libmkl_intel_lp64 OS X

using OS X 10.10.3 with fresh install of mkl and Eclipse MARS.2

from the command line I run:

gcc nec2c.o somnec.o misc.o -l /opt/intel/mkl/lib/lib

and get

ld: library not found for -l/opt/intel/mkl/lib/libmkl_intel_lp64

but it is there:

ls /opt/intel/mkl/lib/libmkl_intel_lp64.a

/opt/intel/mkl/lib/libmkl_intel_lp64.a 

BUT... if I leave out the '-l' flag, the file

is found and linked (and, of course, results in

many other unresolved references).

If I put in the '-L' flag to point to the directory

and just '-llibmkl_intel_lp64' I get the same results.

Any idea why gcc can't find the libraries?  Is there a

file or directory privileges issue, perhaps?

thanks....