Throughout history, the people who changed the world have been those who think outside the box and take action. Mr. Cousteau, who spent 31 days under the sea for a research project, has also been considered such an unconventional figure.

“Well, people question my mental condition for doing Mission 31,” he says with a laugh, “but in all seriousness, I think it takes a certain person to want to go into an extreme environment.”

Fabien Cousteau was born in Paris, France in 1967. His grandfather is Jacques-Yves Cousteau, a renowned marine scientist and pioneer in ocean exploration, and his father is the marine explorer Jean-Michel Cousteau. Since diving for the first time on his fourth birthday, the fascination of the ocean—a treasure trove of mysteries and adventure—has never left him.

“I'm a child at heart. I have an insatiable curiosity,” Mr. Cousteau says.

“Planet Earth's last frontier: it's the ocean. We’ve explored less than 5% of our ocean world to date in any capacity. So we have a lot left to discover, whether it's architeuthis, the giant squid, or some other creature, or some other phenomena underwater, or resources, or just the very underpinnings of what makes human beings possible. So for me, it's very exciting to have a mysterious place: an alien environment right here at our fingertips.”

“The Ocean is

Planet Earth's Last Frontier”

The roles of an ocean explorer are to explore the Earth’s frontiers and to help deepen mankind’s understanding of the ocean. Mr. Cousteau works on numerous projects that go beyond usual tasks for a researcher, from going on expeditions in various parts of the ocean, to raising awareness and educating communities around the world. Such activities have sometimes earned him the label of a rule-breaker, which he takes in his stride, regarding it as a compliment and fueling his desire to take on unprecedented challenges.

A prime example of such “rule-breaking” activities is Mission 31. In this project, Mr. Cousteau stayed for 31 days in the world’s only undersea marine laboratory, located on the ocean floor 20 meters below the surface: a facility the size of a small school bus. It was virtually impossible to return to the surface during the project. Up until then, the longest mission that took place there had been for 17 days. It was an opportunity to set a new record by a huge margin, and also to surpass his grandfather’s record of living under the sea for 30 days.

“It was an opportunity to test and see if the general public still wanted to hear about ocean exploration. It was an opportunity to honor my grandfather, who built the first underwater habitats,” he recalls. “I think breaking the record was the least important part of the project. [...] Symbolically going one day longer than my grandfather’s team was really more a personal honor to give to the previous generations.”

In Mission 31, a total of 6 people including Mr. Cousteau stayed underwater. Living together in a very small space, they went out into the water column three or four times a day to collect data. Their topics of interest ranged from climate change and seawater pollution to the interaction of species on coral reefs as apex predators are taken away. In those 31 days, the team managed to do over 3 years’ worth of scientific research and data gathering compared with researchers going from the surface down. They demonstrated the efficiency and the value of underwater habitats in marine research.

However, the project was not without problems. Seemingly trivial incidents on land may become life-threatening situations under the sea. When the air conditioner called the chiller broke, it became so unbearable that the mission nearly had to be discontinued. The temperature reached 42 degrees Celsius, with 100% humidity, and the condition seemed as if it were raining inside the habitat. While the members managed to overcome this crisis, they were forced to treat every unexpected incident underwater, because returning to the surface required a decompression procedure that took 24 hours. Going back immediately was not an option, even in the case someone broke a bone or fell ill.

“I felt really sad

when I had to end the mission

to come back up”

Another factor was the presence of cameras all around the habitat, which were monitored on land. This was a measure to secure safety during the underwater stay, but it also meant that the members were being constantly watched. When Mr. Cousteau could not stop sneezing, he recalls how his concerned mother called through the Wi-Fi connection to ask if he was all right. Many people are likely to feel that an ordinary person would never manage to live for 31 days under this kind of pressure.

“I think it takes a certain person to want to go into an extreme environment. A challenging situation in a small space, with people you don't know, to work for 31 days. [...] In one case, we had someone who was ready to leave after a week; in most cases, they were willing to finish the mission. [...] In my case, I was almost depressed, shocked, felt really sad, when I had to end the mission to come back up. Because to me, the habitat and the neighborhood underwater became my place, became my residence, and I became very familiar with it and I would go on for another month easily. Do I miss my friends, my family? Of course. But the longer I was down there, the less I thought about the surface.”

“For me, exploring the ocean is

exploring the future”

After completing his 31-day mission, Mr. Cousteau is ever more curious about the ocean world. He suggested some possibilities beyond Mission 31, to a future Mission 32 or 33...

“I love advancements in science and engineering, and in many ways we incorporate these things as much as possible in all facets of our lives, including ocean exploration. [...] But there is still no substitute for having a first-hand account of a human being in a specific experience. Because as much as robots, technology and everything is advanced, it's no match for all the nuances that a human being can experience and absorb and bring back and share.”

“I believe one of [my] fundamental philosophies is something I live in my everyday life where I try to: one that is the fundamental philosophy for the Fabien Cousteau Ocean Learning Center, and one that my grandfather passed on to my father, passed on to me, which is, ‘people protect what they love, they love what they understand, and they understand what they are taught.’ It is a fundamental thing of importance of power, of responsibility, to have knowledge and to share it, so that we can make better decisions in our everyday lives for the future of our children. ”

So the “rule-breaking” ocean explorer keeps diving—to fulfill his insatiable curiosity, and to help make a better future for mankind.