Fabien Cousteau, following his family's tradition!
Plant A Fish
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As Blue August begins to cool down, we're highlighting a hot influence on ocean awareness, Fabien Cousteau. Following the legendary footsteps of his grandfather, Jacques Cousteau, Fabien combines his love of deep sea diving with documentary filmmaking including restoration projects like planting one billion sea turtles in the mangroves of El Salvador and one million corals in the Maldives and Florida Keys.
Fabien's most recent project is titled Plant A Fish, which has committed to planting one billion oysters over the next few years at several sites in NYC's Hudson and East River. Recruiting the help of students from The Harbor School, a public city high school in Bushwick, Brooklyn, Fabien and crew sailed to Bay Ridge, Brooklyn and dove to plant 130,000 oysters!
Planet Green: How did you get into this line of work?
Fabien Cousteau: Seriously?!
PG: What was your "a-ha" moment?
FC: When one opens his or her eyes, the “a-ha moment” is there.
PG: Who is your green hero?
FC: The person who takes a proactive approach to life and makes a change for the better.
PG: What is your ultimate green goal?
FC: For people to understand and embrace blue as green and green as blue.
PG: What is most important to you, ecologically speaking?
FC: For our species to survive. And to do so, means to live with the planet rather than on it.
PG: What is the most challenging part of your job?
FC: Going to sleep when I know there is so much left to do.
PG: What is the most rewarding?
FC: The smile on a child’s face and the happiness he or she has connecting with the oceans.
PG: Of the people you have worked with, who impresses you most?
FC: Most people that end up working with us are exceptional in their own ways. Our Ocean Futures team comprises the top of the top in experienced talent as “ocean-auts," scientists or documentary film members. The board members, volunteers and friends of Plant A Fish are quite amazing as well. They dedicate their extra time to giving back to our planet and our future.
PG: What green thing do you do everyday?
FC: To do only one “green thing” does a disservice to the message. One must try to take the greener option in our every deliberation. No one and no situation is perfect but we can each strive to do better.
PG: What do you wish you could do?
FC: To breath underwater without the aid of SCUBA, to restore the health of our ocean world, and to explore the oceans of Mars.
PG: What is your biggest eco-sin?
FC: Not sure there is a big one, just several smaller ones. Environmental challenges stem from the cumulative effects of all our everyday bad habits. The more of these we can eliminate, the closer we get to negating some of our impacts
PG: If you could change one thing in the world, what would it be?
FC: Time. It is the one variable I wish we had more of to change the course our actions have set for ourselves.
PG: What is your best green advice?
FC: Growing up, my grandfather would always say, "People protect what they love." Live like you love the ocean world. There is no planet “B." Our children deserve to enjoy that which we have taken for granted.
More on Oceans:
What's Your Oceans IQ? (Quiz)
International Surfing Day Reminds Us Why Oceans Matter (Slideshow)
To Support the Oceans, Support Oceana
