Fabien Cousteau, grandson of explorer and oceanographer Jacques Cousteau, is following his grandfather’s footsteps. Cousteau will be diving to a laboratory at the Aquarius Reef Base and will be spending 31 days living underwater. He will be making a documentary and a few science experiments in a coral reef at the Florida Keys.
“Mission 31,” continues the legacy of his grandfather who went underwater in the Red Sea for 30 days in 1963 to film for his Oscar-winning documentary entitled World Without Sun.
Although the idea is the same, the younger Cousteau will be able to do what his grandfather couldn’t decades ago. He will be broadcasting his underwater adventure online. “For the first time I’m able to invite the world on a Cousteau expedition in real time,” he said.
Jacques Cousteau’s grandson planning 31-day underwater mission in Florida http://t.co/c7lapbQkS7 pic.twitter.com/68F2QWMUzI
— CTV News (@CTVNews) June 1, 2014
Cousteau will be underwater together with a five-man crew called the aquanauts. The laboratory, which is located 60 feet below the ocean’s surface, is the last remaining underwater laboratory in the world and it is operated by the Florida International University. The underwater laboratory measures 10 feet wide and 46 feet long, but has a kitchen with a microwave and even wifi.
. @Mission_31 team celebrating end of training & upcoming splashdown pic.twitter.com/2ZXGOEm3K1
— Fabien Cousteau (@FCousteau) May 31, 2014
In their mission, Cousteau and the aquanauts will be monitoring and studying how the warm seas are affecting the ocean’s acidity and the coral reefs.
“Whether you care about economics, in your personal life or your business life, whether you care about your health or your child’s health, whether you care about saving creatures, it all pertains to making sure that our oceans are healthy. And our oceans are not,” Cousteau said.
first meal at Aquarius @ReefBase during @Mission_31 sense of taste seems dull or maybe food is… pic.twitter.com/YetYJixiV8
— Fabien Cousteau (@FCousteau) June 1, 2014
They will also be monitoring themselves to learn how living without the sun in a high-pressure area will affect a person both physically and mentally.
Fans will be able to follow the adventures of Cousteau and his team by following their official social media accounts.
The team is planning to go back to the surface on July 2.
Dusk at Aquarius during @Mission_31 1st day pic.twitter.com/hvykQQpm8D
— Fabien Cousteau (@FCousteau) June 1, 2014
Main image via FabienCousteau.org, article image via karting.wikispaces.com
