[Congressional Record Volume 143, Number 91 (Wednesday, June 25, 1997)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1323]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                   IN MEMORY OF JACQUES YVES COUSTEAU

                                 ______
                                 

                             HON. SAM FARR

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                        Wednesday, June 25, 1997

  Mr. FARR of California. Mr. Speaker, I come before you today to pay 
tribute to a man who is well-known around the world for his pioneering 
work in the field of marine research, conservation and education. 
Jacques Yves Cousteau passed away this morning in Paris, at the age of 
87.
  Jacques Cousteau was an inventor, an explorer, and a concerned 
citizen of our world. He invented a waterproof housing for an 
underwater movie camera in 1936, and in 1943, with French engineer 
Emile Gagnon created the Aqualung, which allowed divers to swim 
untethered underwater for several hours. Cousteau fought for the French 
in WWII, and the Aqualung was used by divers to locate and remove enemy 
mines after the war. In 1950 he purchased the ship Calypso from which 
to conduct his explorations of the world oceans, beginning the work for 
which he is perhaps best known: bringing the excitement of the oceans 
to the public.
  He showed people around the world the beauty of ocean ecosystems, 
exploring the depths with a sense of adventure, exposing the oceans as 
the last earthy frontier to be explored, as exciting and amazing as any 
exploration into space. He lectured, produced amazing underwater 
photography, and published many books. Two of his films, ``The Silent 
World'' (1956) and ``World Without Sun'' (1966) won Academy Awards for 
best documentary. His television program, ``The Undersea World of 
Jacques Cousteau'' (1968-1976) also brought the marvels of his 
expeditions and the undersea world into American homes, as well as the 
lasting image of him, jauntily smiling from the deck of the Calypso, 
clad in his black rubber wetsuit.
  In 1974 he began The Cousteau Society, an organization whose 
membership now totals over 300,000 worldwide, to help raise public 
awareness of ocean issues and help promote wise management of our ocean 
resources. His work did not end at the shore, however, and he was 
active on many environmental issues, including the potentially 
devastating effects of overpopulation. He was awarded the Medal of 
Freedom by President Ronald Reagan in 1985, and in 1989, was honored by 
the French with membership in the French Academy.
  He inspired many to love the sea, and to pursue careers in marine 
science. My district, the Monterey Bay area of California, has been 
particularly blessed in its connection to an incredibly diverse and 
abundant marine environment. Off our shores we have the Monterey Bay 
National Marine Sanctuary, the largest marine protected area in the 
country, encompassing environments that vary from the rocky intertidal 
to the incredible depths of the Monterey Canyon. Around the bay we have 
18 institutions with world class, ongoing research in the marine 
environment. Over 1.7 million people visit our Monterey Bay Aquarium 
each year, to witness the amazing life we have off our shores, and to 
educate themselves about ocean life and human impacts which threaten 
it.
  All ocean scientists, educators and managers owe a debt of gratitude 
to Jacques Cousteau for raising the public awareness and support of 
marine research and conservation.
  In a recent interview, Cousteau was asked the question ``Which area 
of pollution worries you the most?'', to which he responded ``I don't 
make a separation, I worry about the entire system. Our way of managing 
the Earth is wrong.''
  I would leave you with the thought that we can no longer plead 
ignorance of our aquatic environments. Through the work of Jacques 
Cousteau, and thousands of other marine scientists, we are now more 
aware than ever of the amazing wonder and fragility of our ocean 
ecosystems. But our greatest tribute to this man, and this knowledge, 
should be the efforts we make to ensure the protection and wise 
management of our ocean resources.

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