Fabien Cousteau

Ocean explorer and environmentalist
Fabien Cousteau spent 31 days underwater to research how climate change and pollution are affecting the oceans.

Why you should listen

For 31 days, from June 1 to July 2, 2014, Fabien Cousteau and a team of scientists and filmmakers lived and worked 20 meters below the surface of the Atlantic Ocean, at the Acquarius underwater science lab 9 miles off the coast of Florida. The intent of Mission31: study the life of and on the coral reef -- and the effects of climate change, acidification, and pollution, in particular by plastic debris and oil spills. But it was also a study of the scientists themselves spending extended time underwater. By stayigng down continuously, they collected the equivalent of several years of scientific data in just a month.

50 years ago Fabien Cousteau's grandfather, the legendary ocean explorer Jacques-Yves Cousteau, led a similar -- but shorter by one day -- expedition under the surface of the Red Sea. Since, we have explored only a very small portion of the oceans, less than 5 percent.

What others say

“You get used to it. Eel, sharks, barracuda parking on your shoulder wondering what you're doing. Animals getting used to you in their environment.” — Time, July 2014

Fabien Cousteau’s TED talk

More news and ideas from Fabien Cousteau

Science

Crazy things people do … in the name of science

March 17, 2015

In 2014, Google's Alan Eustace strapped himself to a weather balloon, soared to a height of 135,000 feet … and then jumped -- all for science. Read more about his experiment ... and about 9 others who merrily pushed the boundaries in the name of their work.

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News

Bold expeditions: A recap of session 12 of TEDGlobal 2014

October 10, 2014

In the final session of TEDGlobal 2014, Mighty spaces, we take four journeys — three to great expanses in the world, and one into our minds and hearts: A low blue haze lights the stage as choreographer Aakash Odedra spins slowly. The light grows and his dance picks up — a mix of classical Indian […]

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