(cousteau.org / 12-04-10)  Jacques-Yves Cousteau was born on June 11, 1910, in Saint André de Cubzac, Gironde in France. One hundred years later, we are celebrating the anniversary of the man who made an indelible impression on our planet and its oceans.

When Captain Cousteau and his crew set sail on Calypso to explore the world, no one knew yet about the effects of pollution on marine ecosystems, of over-exploitation on resources and of manmade destruction on coastal zones.

The adventures of Calypso were captured on film and drew the public’s attention to the ecological disasters caused by human negligence. Captain Cousteau, through his work and his life, was a leader in environmental awareness. He left it to the Cousteau Society and Equipe Cousteau, the two not-for-profit organizations he founded, to continue his mission.

The Cousteau Society
Founded in 1973 by Captain Jacques-Yves Cousteau, the Society has more than 50,000 members worldwide. Under the leadership of President Francine Cousteau, the Society continues the unique explorations and observations of ecosystems throughout the world that have helped millions of people understand and appreciate the fragility of life on our Water Planet.

Half a century of protecting water systems has expanded to embrace a wide variety of programs to encourage communities to achieve sustainable harmony with Nature as the Cousteau Label program.

Headquartered in Hampton, Virginia, the Society welcomes members and visitors to its gallery of photos and artefacts from a half-century of expeditions. A membership-supported, not-for-profit environmental education organization, the Society is dedicated to the protection and improvement of the quality of life for present and future generations.

Equipe Cousteau
Equipe Cousteau, a sister organization to the Cousteau Society, was founded by Captain Jacques-Yves Cousteau in France as Fondation Cousteau in 1982. The name was changed to Equipe Cousteau in 1992 to reflect its membership-based advocacy. Sharing the goals and resources of the US-based Cousteau Society, headquartered in Paris, Equipe Cousteau has allowed the Cousteau mission to strengthen its status as an international effort to protect and improve the quality of life for present and future generations.