2011 Washburn Award Recipient

Jean-Michel Cousteau continues the legacy of his father, the legendary ocean explorer Jacques Cousteau, as a world-renowned explorer, environmentalist, educator, oceanographer, and filmmaker. He has spent much of his life investigating the world's oceans aboard the research vessels Calypso and Alcyone, and in 1999, he founded the Ocean Futures Society, a marine conservation and education organization that serves as a "Voice for the Ocean." The Society teaches conservation ethics, conducts research, and helps to develop marine education programs, and Cousteau is its chairman of the board and president.

A prolific filmmaker, Cousteau has also produced more than 80 films, yielding him an Emmy award, the Peabody award, the Sept d'Or, and the Cable ACE Award. In 1989, he became a syndicated columnist for the Los Angeles Times where his articles appeared in more than 60 newspapers worldwide. His first book, Jean-Michel Cousteau's America's Underwater Treasures, has also received several awards in independent publishing. His newest book, My Father, The Captain: My Life with Jacques Cousteau, a biography of his father, was released on May 25, 2010, a few weeks before the 100th anniversary of Jacques' birth.

Recognized as a voice for the ocean who communicates to a new generation, Cousteau continues his quest to "carry forward the flame of his faith" and to educate listeners worldwide on the importance of the oceans and preserving underwater ecosystems.

On September 7, 2011, Jean-Michel Cousteau became the first two-generation Washburn Awardee. Captain Jacques-Yves Cousteau was the second-ever recipient in 1965.