LYCOS RETRIEVER 
Cousteau: World
built 228 days ago
Before the echolocation abilities of porpoises were discovered, Cousteau suggested that they might exist. In his first book, The Silent World (1953, pp. 206-207), he reported that his research vessel, the Élie Monier, was heading to the Straits of Gibraltar and noticed a group of porpoises following them. Cousteau changed course a few degrees off the optimal course to the center of the strait, and the porpoises followed for a few minutes, then diverged toward mid-channel again. It was evident that they knew where the optimal course lay, even if the humans did not. Cousteau concluded that the cetaceans had something like sonar, which was a relatively new feature on submarines.
Source:
On Earth Day 1997, Cousteau led the first undersea live, interactive video chat on Microsoft Internet from the coral reefs of Fiji, celebrating the International Year of the Reef and answering questions from "armchair divers" throughout the world. In April 1998, highlighting the International Year of the Ocean, Cousteau participated in a live downlink from the Space Shuttle Columbia to CNN in New York, discussing NASA's contribution to ocean awareness with astronaut and marine biologist Rick Linnehan. Also in 1998, he was a spokesperson for the United States Pavilion at Expo '98 in Lisbon, Portugal.
Source:
In 1960 Cousteau was an important part of the movement to prevent the dumping of French atomic waste into the Mediterranean Sea. This movement ended in success. Throughout his life Cousteau enjoyed much recognition for his tireless support of ocean ecology (the relationship between organisms and their environment). In 1959 he addressed the first World Oceanic Congress, an event that received widespread coverage and led to his appearance on the cover of Time magazine on March 28, 1960.
Source:
While Cousteau worked on the aqualung, he continued performing his naval duties. France was involved in World War II (1939–1945) against Nazi Germany during this time. Cousteau aided France's war efforts through his resistance work. The French resistance would secretly battle the Nazis by conducting spy missions, sabotage, and by aiding people who fled persecution. One of Cousteau's resistance roles included spying on Italian naval forces.
Source:
According to his first book, The Silent World, Cousteau started skindiving—with a mask, snorkel, and fins with Frédéric Dumas and Philippe Tailliez in 1948. In 1943, he tried out the first prototype aqua-lung — designed by Cousteau and Émile Gagnan — which made lengthy underwater exploration possible for the first time. This greatly helped to improve todays knowledge of the underwater world.
Source:
Cousteau now turned his attention to filming and exploring the world’s oceans. He published his first book, the Silent World, in 1953, and received an Academy Award in 1956 for Best Documentary for the film version of this book. His other accomplishments include the development of the first watertight 35mm still camera, the invention of self-righting underwater sleds for filming in deep water and the modification of torpedoes to be used as underwater scooters to allow divers to cover greater distances.
Source:
MORE ABOUT
World