'Ocean Adventures'
Discussion About the PBS Series With Jean-Michel Cousteau

Jean-Michel Cousteau
Filmmaker
Wednesday, April 12, 2006 1:00 PM

Filmmaker Jean-Michel Cousteau, son of Jacques Cousteau, was online Wednesday, April 12, at 1 p.m. ET to discuss the PBS series Ocean Adventures: "Voyage to Kure."

During the series, the Cousteau team sails to the Northwest Hawaiian Island archipelago, the most remote island group in the world. There, they discover diverse wildlife populations above and below the sea, and investigate these species' fight against extinction and the devastating effects of pollution, mining, fishing and development.

This new series is narrated by Pierce Brosnan. It airs on PBS on Wednesdays, April 12-19, at 8 p.m. ET. (Check local listings.)

Peabody and Emmy award-winning filmmaker Jean-Michel Cousteau's team is from Ocean Futures Society, a non-profit educational organization. The 22-member crew, many of whom grew up watching the famed television specials "The Undersea World of Jacques Cousteau," includes many veterans of documentaries by Jean-Michel and his late father.

The transcript follows.

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Jean-Michel Cousteau: I am Jean-Michel Cousteau and I am pleased to have this opportunity to say hi to the readers of the Washington Post and I am happy to answer the questions. I happen to have the second hour of our TV series on PBS tonight 8 PM. So it's a great day for all of us at Ocean Futures Society which I have the privilege of leading. So I am open for anybody's questions!

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Fairfax, Va.: Growing up with that wonderful last name and the glorious work of your father, which you have so beautifully continued and expanded, did you ever consider any other work endeavor for yourself growing up?

Jean-Michel Cousteau: (Laughing) It's a wonderful question, and I appreciate it. Yes, it was a privilege to grow in my father's environment together with his team. I started diving when I was 7 years old, and I have never stopped. So in reality I never thought about doing anything else in this lifetime. This, being said, I still dream. And in another life I want to be an astronaut, and in another life I want to be a farmer. I am a licensed architect because I wanted to build cities underwater. That's how much of an impact my dad had on me when I was a kid. Very soon after that I worked with him. And have produced close to 80 hours of television, including the new series Ocean Adventures which started airing a week ago, with a show tonight. And the next two in July and then in October. So I've never stopped!

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Bethesda, Md.: I have read recently that much of the world's coral population is dying or threatened by global warming raising ocean temperatures. When you mention such a thing to many people, they glaze over and perhaps mutter a perfunctory "that's a shame." What connection does this coral have to us, and how would you explain the significance of this development to the average layperson?

Jean-Michel Cousteau: Tropical corals are living structures made by animals which represent more structure, solid structures, then anything humans have built on land. Because of global warming and the sensitivity of species of corals they are dying in many places. The stress comes from water temperature increase, from pollutants, from runoff of fertilizer and sediment because of deforestation. As a result thirty percent of the tropical coral reefs of the world are dead. The scientific community agrees that if nothing changes in our behavior, within the next 25 to 30 years it will be around 60 percent. Why should we care? We should for three reasons: 1 - Corals provide up to 80 percent of protein intake in third world countries that depend on that food. Coral reefs provide a natural protection against the wave actions of storms, hurricanes, tsunami. Without that protection, some nations will be washed away, such as the Bahamas, which are at sea level. Furthermore, many of these countries that are surrounded by coral reefs are destinations for tourists. If the reef is dead, the tourists won't go, and the economy of these nations will crash. There is a high level of concern on the part of the small island nations in the tropical environment. That's why we need to care.

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Washington, D.C.: It quite tragic that the Great Barrier Reef is struggling to survive. Do you believe that our fascination with coral reefs threatens their existence? Would it be better if people stopped snorkeling/diving around reefs?

Jean-Michel Cousteau: Snorkelers and divers are the ambassadors of the environment. They are the only people putting their nose below the surface, or I should say their eyes below the surface, and can report what's happening. The damage that can be caused accidentally by snorkelers and divers is miniscule compared to the damage we cause the reefs from our land activities. Back to runoffs with heavy metal, with all kinds of chemicals, with fertilizers, and untreated sewage. Or bad fishing habits. Those are the cause of the real problems. We as a people are responsible, whether we live along the coastline near the Great Barrier Reef, or in the middle of the country. Everything is connected.

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San Francisco, Calif.: Over the years, have you noticed a significant change in the way American's view the importance of our healthy oceans? Or are we still as complacent as ever?

Jean-Michel Cousteau: I believe we are still complacent, but a lot more aware than we used to be, and because of that we have no excuse to not act. If not, it will affect the quality of our lives. We are all connected to the ocean, which is our life support system. The ocean is on top of our mountains, as pure as it can be, and as it runs down the streams and the rivers we load it with pollutants, which reaches the ocean. And nature cleans itself, but there are limits, and we've reached those limits.

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San Francisco, Calif.: I loved last week's episode! What was your most memorable moment from your newest series, Ocean Adventures?

Jean-Michel Cousteau: My most memorable moment in the series has been to explore a remote part of the world which I have never seen, the north western Hawaiian Islands. It also had to do with the fact that nature is telling us that given a chance it can recover. Because in those islands, regardless of the impact of our trash, the diversity, the abundance and the health of these islands is in very good condition. So there is hope. And if we protect it, the spill out effect can restore a lot of places, a lot of the fish stocks, a lot of the reefs which have been abused elsewhere.

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Lake Worth, Fla.: What's the hardest part of being on an expedition for weeks and weeks at a time?

Jean-Michel Cousteau: Very good question. Being on top of each other requires a lot of compromise on your privacy, on your tolerance of others, and it takes a very solid team to be able to endure this proximity. And people who cannot handle it find themselves isolated and eliminated from the team very quickly. So you know what to expect before you depart. We had no problem, only glitches, during the expedition.

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Washington, D.C.: Have been diving for last few years. I am in my early 30's and often hear of your father's adventures and shows but have no recollection of every seeing any -- are they rebroadcast from time to time anywhere?

Jean-Michel Cousteau: The answer to this is that we have no control as to where and when the old shows can be rebroadcast. Because we don't own the property. I have myself gone on Ebay to acquire some of those shows! To view them for myself! Although I was part of most of them, I didn't systematically collect them when I was young. So, you may want to do the same! (Laughing)Or, watch our shows on PBS which are the latest programs and those will take you on an adventure of discovery.

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Manassas, Va.: I'm looking forward to viewing the series tonight! I have fond memories of watching Jacques Cousteau on TV when I was young. For an educator who diligently tries to provide my students with environmental awareness, could you share your ideas of how we can instill in our youth the fragility of our earth's ecosystems?

Jean-Michel Cousteau: I have a profound respect for educators. I still remember the impact of my teachers when I was a child. The best thing that I can suggest, other than showing our programs or making it a project within the classroom to watch the shows and report, is to take your classroom into the environment, along the shoreline, whether it is the ocean, a river or a lake, and make your classroom touch and feel and smell, so as to understand the connections between water and land, and how we all depend on that water for the quality of our lives and anything living, whether plants or animals. We have a program called Ambassadors of the Environment, where we take classrooms with their teachers for 3 to 5 days to have that experience. We are presently situated in 11 locations worldwide, from the Caribbean to the South Pacific, from Greece to Hawaii, from France to California. Go on our Web site, www.oceanfutures.org, and you can read more about educational material available to our readers.

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San Carlos, Calif.: I heard your film was screened at the White House last week. I imagine you've met many world leaders before. What was that experience like for you? And what sort of impact do you think it had on the president?

Jean-Michel Cousteau: I don't know how you learned about my visit to the White House which was pretty private! But you are well informed! (Laughing)

Indeed, we had 50 of the most important decision makers watching our first show of the series for their consideration to emphasize the importance of protecting the north western Hawaiian Islands. From the Department of Commerce, NOAA, the National Marine Sanctuary System, the Department of Interior with Fish and Wildlife, the Chairman of the National Ocean Commission, Admiral Watkins, the governor Hawaii, the science advisor to the President. President Bush and Mrs. Bush, who attended. made a strong commitment to support the efforts of the administration to protect better and manage better these unique resources. I was honored to have had that opportunity to pass on the message to the President of the United States. And I'm looking forward to actions. I've had the same privilege several times in the past with all the presidents since President Kennedy.

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Washington, D.C.: Que pensez-vous du film "The Life Aquatic"?

Jean-Michel Cousteau: I think that show was childish and poorly done. When with a little bit of help it could have been a lot more fun and would have avoided insulting the memory of my brother.

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Lake Worth, Fla.: On Voyage to Kure, what kinds of tanks were you using that required they be covered with blue cases? Also, you used regs that covered the bottom portion of your face -- not the rebreathers -- what were they?

Jean-Michel Cousteau: We used three tanks of 30 cubic feet covered by a shroud which makes us more streamlined and thus facilitates our swimming. The full face mask called Supermask is one of our co-inventions and it allows us to communicate with each other and with the surface for security reasons. It also allows us to remove the bottom part to reach out for an alternate source of air or gas mixture.

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Virginia: What about the world's navies and their oceanographic works?

Jean-Michel Cousteau: Other than the low frequency emissions done by at least six navies that we know of, in general navies are doing a lot of research. And thus when the information is made available is very useful for a better understanding of the ocean.

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Anonymous: What is the greatest development/advancement you've seen in terms of people protecting our oceans?

Jean-Michel Cousteau: Education, education, education. Mostly in the classroom with younger kids who absorb information like sponges. We know for a fact, because we've communicated with young people more than 30 years ago, today as adults with families and jobs they come back to us and tell us that their decision-making process is always impacted by the experience that they had when they were a kid. We know it works. But we need more of it.

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Lake Worth, Fla.: I listened to the podcast with you, Fabien, and Celine, and I enjoyed it. How often do you get to work with your children?

Jean-Michel Cousteau: I am extremely privileged to work with my children who both started diving when they were children. My son, Fabien, had his first experience the day of his 4th birthday. They feel like fish in the water and are very comfortable. It's nice as a father, it's nice as a communicator, to have the chance to see a third generation continue in their way the mission that was started by my father. I worked with them for the last 12 months, on the last two hours of our present series, exploring the 13 marine sanctuaries of the United States, which will be two hours broadcasting in more than likely October, all over the country on PBS. The shows are called America's Underwater Treasures.

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Maryland: Mr. Cousteau, on the Eastern Shore of Maryland we see much of our local bounty in harms way. I love bluecrabs but I wish they would impose a moratorium like they did with rockfish (striped bass). I don't eat crabs anymore. I also avoid swordfish even though it's one of my favorites. Is there any other seafood that we should avoid, sort of boycott, in hopes that the fishing countries will stop overfishing and perhaps somedays these species will rebound? I always blame Red Lobster -- as long as people keep eating there the fish don't have a chance.

Jean-Michel Cousteau: A very good question. We have now a pretty good knowledge of what we have done to our marine resources. In the waters that we can control in the U.S., we need to have better regulations so as to manage those resources in a sustainable way. Which really means that we cannot take more than nature can reproduce. That's why the crabs are gone, and many other species also. We are not managing those resources properly. At the international level, there are regulations but they are either not good enough or they are not respected. And that is a real problem. In this country and a few others there have been efforts to communicate with the public what is the right seafood to purchase and eat or to avoid. The Monterey Bay Aquarium has created a seafood watch, the size of a business card, that you can carry with you and it will give you best choices, good alternatives and what to avoid. At the same time it will give you the name of the species which contain contaminants, such as mercury. It is a good step in the right direction. We at Ocean Futures Society can provide you with the Seafood Watch card or you can get it from the Monterey Aquarium.

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San Carlos, Calif.: I read about the White House event in the newspaper. Of all the places you've traveled in order to educate folks about our oceans, what country or city seems to have the best understanding of the importance of protecting our oceans? And, if you want, I have another question. How long do you think it will be until we begin exploring our oceans with the same scientific fervor as we did space in the 50-60s?

Jean-Michel Cousteau: I think the United States, amongst a few other countries, is doing the best possible job. Western Europe, Australia, New Zealand have growing numbers of educational programs focusing on the ocean. Today we are putting very little financial resources to explore and understand the ocean which covers 70 percent of the planet. There are more than likely thousands of species to be discovered and studied. Some of them for our well-being. With new pharmaceutical products, etc. As long as we mistreat our life support system, we will see a degradation to the point where in as much as we all want to see the space program allowing us to explore other planets such as Mars, I am convinced that we will never be able to continue to fulfill our dreams unless we take care of home base, planet Earth.

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Vienna, Va.: Dear Mr. Cousteau,

At age five I had the honor and pleasure of meeting your father, to whom I attribute my early fascination with the ocean. I spent several years doing research in Hawaii, and now work for the federal government.

My question is: "Given the fact of finite resources, do you feel that an appropriate division between exploration and research exists?" That is, how can we underfund exploration when so little of the ocean has been uncovered; and, how can we expend resources to uncover more oceanic realms when we don't yet understand the fundamental questions to which we currently have access?

Jean-Michel Cousteau: We need better communication, which can be done, as we live a communication revolution, as important, if not more important than the industrial revolution or the green revolution. All it takes is for our decision makers, under the pressure of the public, to allocate more resources to that effect. How can we protect what we don't understand? And as my father said, people protect what they love.

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Danville, Va.: You stress the importance of acting and getting involved. What can I do to help? How can I make a difference?

Jean-Michel Cousteau: You can make a difference in your everyday actions. Electrical consumption, water consumption, the kind of automobile you use, etc. In addition, you can help and support organizations that need you. You can write to your congressman, to your senator, to your president, and if we all were doing that more often, we would apply sufficient pressures to change the course of some of the actions, or lack of. Most of the time our representatives react to public pressure.

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Waterford, N.Y.: I recently visited Hawaii. While visiting I made a stop at the Polynesian Cultural Center. At the center they have an IMAX theater. The featured film there is "Coral Reef Adventure" which features a segment with Jean-Michel. I had never realized that the Cousteau legacy lives on. As a youngster I had always watched his father on the National Geographic specials. Upon returning to our hotel to relax I saw a promo for Jean-Michel's PBS special. Needless to say part one was spectacular. It was also special because he had launched the whole expedition from Honolulu a short distance from where we were staying. I am looking forward to part two this evening. I have also purchased the DVD. I want to thank Jean-Michel for his past and future expeditions and for bringing a world to us that many have never seen.

Jean-Michel Cousteau: Thank you, thank you! Thank you for watching. It is very heart warming to see we have an audience and they are appreciating what we are doing. With their continued support we can reach out to many more people, and young people in particular. So thank you!

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Munich, Germany: Your name evokes memories of childhood awe and pleasure, watching and listening to your father aboard the Calypso. I'm glad that you're continuing the work of your father.

I've been reading quite a few pessimistic reports about the future of the oceans, such as only 10% of larger fish living in the oceans now than 50 years ago and the probable extinction of coral reefs due to warming and increased acidity of the water.

What are your thoughts on these subjects? Was there a noticeable decline in fish stocks around the NWHIs?

On your visit to the NWHIs, you mention that there is hope for the oceans. I hope you're right.

Jean-Michel Cousteau: I really appreciate those questions, particularly when the indication is to trigger the fact that there is hope. The alternative is absolutely of no interest, to me anyway. And as long as a species still exists there is a chance for it to recover. We've done it successfully with a few. Like grey whales in the pacific, like elephant seals which were on the verge of extinction. Most of us don't know that, because it is good news, and good news doesn't sell. The North Western Hawaiian Islands is a unique expanse of islands, sea mounts, atolls, which are isolated enough that if we properly protect them, manage them and study them, can and will help to repopulate parts of the Pacific Ocean with those species that have disappeared elsewhere. It can act as a nursery which as the spill out effect will allow the fisherman to continue fishing outside the boundaries of the protected area. There is hope. But we need action. Now. For the interests of every one of us. Whether we live near the ocean or way inland. We are all connected to that environment.

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Goleta, Calif.: Dear Jean-Michel,

It is wonderful to see you return to national television, and creating your own legacy dedicated to ocean protection!

The Ocean Adventures TV series looks to be a very involved television production, since you are using state of the art equipment and travel to distant ocean locations.

My question is - since you head up an non-profit organization and because documentary television film-making is so expensive, how do you go about fundraising? And what can individual people do to contribute to future programs produced by Ocean Futures and PBS?

Sincerely,

Sarah

Jean-Michel Cousteau: Thank you for such a kind comment and questions! We, as a not for profit organizations, continuously struggle to raise the funds necessary. We are fortunate enough that there are sponsors in the industrial world, such as foundations or individuals, who are providing us with resources which allow us to go forward with these kinds of productions. I'd rather not produce anything than produce the poor quality material I see on television all the time. So PBS, KQED which is the PBS station in San Francisco, has been unbelievably committed to assisting us in making this Ocean Adventures series possible. Partnership can solve a lot of problems sometimes. So thank you again for your kind words and I hope this answers your question. People can watch the shows and let the word out to other people, or if they can afford it they can make a tax-deductible contribution.

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Goleta, Calif.: How can I learn more about Ocean Adventures on the Web? Is there an educational component to teach students and adults about marine debris?

Jean-Michel Cousteau: You can go inquire about Ocean Adventures on our Web site, www.oceanfutures.org or www.pbs.org/oceanadventures where there is a major educational site which can be used in a very friendly way.

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Jean-Michel Cousteau: I really appreciate the interest the public has had with our new expedition series. And I hope that they continue to sign on so we can continue to take them on our ocean adventures. Without the public, we are very well aware we wouldn't be able to do what we are doing. Our team at Ocean Futures thanks the public who for 40 years now has been supporting our productions by tuning in. So thank you!

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