Fabien Cousteau joins the team of Ecoship supporters
The oceanographic explorer and environmental advocate Fabien Cousteau joins the group of ocean and policy experts who support the development of Ecoship with their ideas and experience. The Founder of the Fabien Cousteau Ocean Learning Center joins other important names such as Sylvia Earle, National Geographic Explorer in Residence and founder of Mission Blue, Christiana Figueres, Mission2020 Convenor and Vice-Chair of the Global Compact of Mayors for Climate and Energy or José Ramós-Horta, Former President Timor-Leste and Nobel Peace Prize Laureate.
“I am really excited to see the fruition of the new Ecoship. It will really highlight what we can do to take that next step in ocean exploration with vessels, reduce our footprint on this planet and send out the message that we can start living with the planet rather than on the planet”, he said. Cousteau is excited to collaborate with Peace Boat in future activities and programmes. “I love the Peace Boat platform because it is a combination of the things that represent how I grew up in Calypso, the way I learned things which is through experiential learning and through being on the ocean, really connecting with that topic that sometimes is very foreign to people”, he added.
Cousteau is the first grandson of Jacques-Yves Cousteau and spent his early years aboard his grandfather’s ships, Calypso and Alcyone; learning how to scuba dive as early as his fourth birthday. He is well known for his study of sharks from 2000-2002 as an Explorer-at-Large for National Geographic, Cousteau collaborated on a TV special aimed at changing public perceptions about sharks called, “Attack of the Mystery Shark”. In 2003-2006, he produced the documentary “Mind of a Demon” that aired on CBS. From 2006-2010, Cousteau was part of the multi-hour PBS series “Ocean Adventures” with his father and sister, inspired by his grandfather’s famous 1978 PBS series “The Cousteau Odyssey”. In 2014, Cousteau and his team embarked on Mission 31, the longest science expedition to take place at Aquarius, the world’s only underwater marine laboratory.
Recently Cousteau embarked on a journey to the bottom of the Belize Blue Hole with the Aquatica Submarine team, where they submerged into the mysterious sinkhole to map its entirety, aired live on Discovery. Currently, Cousteau spends his time on various ocean exploration projects and is dedicated to fulfilling his dream of making a positive change on the world through his non-profit, The Fabien Cousteau Ocean Learning Center.