Earth Protect Blog

French explorer and filmmaker Jacques-Yves Cousteau's devotion to ocean preservation has inspired generations of scientists, conservationists and nature enthusiasts.  "To live on the land we must learn from the sea," wrote John Denver in a 1975 musical tribute to Cousteau and his iconic research ship, the Calypso.

Today, Cousteau's granddaughter, Alexandra, a filmmaker, explorer and environmentalist, is carrying on her grandfather's legacy of living on the land in harmony with the sea. Her nonprofit organization Blue Legacy, which she founded in 2008, utilizes film, photography and journalism to raise awareness of critical water issues across the globe.

Alexandra Cousteau, a member of the National Geographic Emerging Explorers Program, visited Chattanooga this week as part of the Tennessee Aquarium's Blue Planet Forum lecture series sponsored by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.

Cousteau spent much of her childhood touring some of the most beautiful aquatic environments on the planet, and it's those memories that frame her perspectives and devotion to clean water today.

by Jenni Frankenberg Veal

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