Fabien Cousteau
Oceanographer, Grandson of Jacques Cousteau
“People may not think they can make a difference, but they really can,” said Fabien. “Recycle that water bottle instead of putting it in the trash where it will stay for about 500 years. Make sure your plastic bags don’t blow into storm drains. Anything you can do to change your lifestyle and encourage people in your school and community to do the same, will make a difference.”
Click here for Fabien Cousteau Slideshow
Always seeking the thrill of discovery, even as a child, he was part of the crew of his grandfather's storied ships, Calypso and Alcyone at the age of 12. Over the next 11 years he has been collecting priceless experiences during expeditions to exotic places. The combination of his fieldwork and a degree in environmental economics from Boston University has developed his strong belief that discipline can be the basis for innovative solutions that reconcile regional and global environmental problems with western market economies. A perfect example of such a resolution, he maintains, is the world wide growth of eco-tourism. "Take, for example, the Great White sharks in South Africa," he said. “These beautiful fish are protected and well respected in that part of the world mainly because an economic solution has permitted locals to make a living by preserving rather than killing. The future well-being of our planet rests in our convincing people that the environment is worth saving."
It is with this thought that he set out to show what could be done in the business world. He joined Seventh Generation, a leading environmental products development company, where he successfully spearheaded new product development and new business projects. Having proven his skills in business, he decided to return to his deep-rooted family passion for exploration. He has joined his father, Jean-Michel, and Deep Ocean Odyssey, as the third generation to carry on the tradition of adventure and exploration in the deep ocean, pioneered by his grandfather more than half a century ago.
Currently Fabien has partnered up with his father, Jean-Michel Cousteau, and sister Celine to complete a three-year, multi-hour series called Ocean Adventures for PBS which started in 2006 (http://www.pbs.org/kqed/oceanadventures ). Topics range from the Gray whale migration of the west coast of the Americas to the magical coral spawning of the Caribbean to diving with squadrons of goliath groupers to the ghost ships of the Great Lakes. Additional hours cover exotic places such as the Amazon, Samoa, Christmas Island, Papua New Guinea, the Arctic and so on.
In a unique effort to help expand the reach of his work, Fabien recently teamed up with GreenDog, an integrated marketing agency for companies with socially conscious and environmentally responsible initiatives, where he will advise and consult on key environmental initiatives, and offer unique field perspective for impactful program development.
Fabien shares his time between France and the United States and when not conducting fieldwork he is riding the planet on a wind surfer, mountain bike or piloting a plane.
Photos of Fabien Cousteau courtesy of Carrie Vonderhaar @ Ocean Futures Society.
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