The Cousteau Society is a US-registered non-profit organisation. Founded by Captain Cousteau in 1973, it maintains the same objective it had 40 years ago: to explore and conserve river systems and oceans across the globe.
Divers and dive centres know this well: protecting aquatic ecosystems is no easy task. The captain stated that we caused more damage to seas and oceans in the 20th century than in all previous human history combined.
The president of the Cousteau Society is Francine Cousteau, the captain's widow. She carries forward his legacy by spreading a message that's more relevant than ever.
The Cousteau Society, working hand in hand with the Cousteau Team*, develops numerous projects with distinct missions:
*The Cousteau Team is a French organisation separate from the Cousteau Society
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An environmental mission: Exploration expeditions to better understand our seas and assess humanity's impact on ecosystems. They prioritise protecting marine mammals, coral reefs and coastlines, while advocating for sustainable industrial fishing.
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An educational and outreach mission: To defend ecosystems, we must first understand them. That's why the Cousteau Society develops school programmes like "Cousteau in the Classroom", providing classes with Cousteau Kids magazine - a treasure trove of learning materials for young minds.
- An innovation mission: Developing efficient diving and marine equipment... We owe Captain Cousteau inventions like the self-contained diving apparatus that revolutionised modern scuba diving, along with the turbosail!
These missions - more crucial than ever - help raise awareness about our planet's future to better protect it.
If you care about the future of our seabeds, one of the Cousteau Society's newest projects is a Facebook and iPhone application called Cousteau Collection. It gives users access to archives of Jacques-Yves Cousteau's adventures, plus images shared by the Cousteau Divers community.
Today's diving enthusiasts can join forces to ensure future generations experience underwater wonders just as we do.
Feel free to share your thoughts about the diving community, and we'll see you beneath the waves!
