Jacques-Yves Cousteau

We use many items in our daily routine but we never wonder who invented them. For all the divers that use the aqualung, they have Jacques Cousteau to thank for the invention. Jacques Cousteau was born in St, Andre-de-Cubzak, France. As a boy he was anemic and swam to get stronger. He would use swimming for rehabilitation again later in his life after a car crash. And in 1943, Cousteau and Emile Gagnon patented the first aqualung, revolutionizing prolonged underwater exploration. In 1950, Cousteau leased the ship Calypso for his field research, and over the years released many famous books and video documentaries about the ocean that received critical acclaim such as: The Silent World (1953) (with F. Dumas); The Living Sea (1963) (with James Dugan). Along with being an explorer, filmmaker, and inventor, Mr. Cousteau was also an environmental activist. In 1960 Cousteau helped prevent the dumping of nuclear waste into the Mediterranean Sea by the French. Jacques Cousteau died on June 25, 1997. Jacques Cousteau ability to care and his intelligence is what makes him a hero.

Jacques Cousteau's intelligence and hunger for knowledge is one of his traits that makes him a hero. While serving in the French Navy in 1943, Cousteau and his partner Emile Gagnan patented the aqualung. "The two spent approximately three weeks developing an automatic regulator that supplied compressed air on demand. This regulator, along with two tanks of compressed air, a mouthpiece, and hoses, was the prototype aqualung..." (Cousteau, Jacques-Yves ). Cousteau revolutionized underwater exploration by making the aqualung more maneuverable compared to the old suits which were bulky. The aqualung also made diving safer because the old diving suit relied on an airline attached to the boat while the aqualung's oxygen supply was on the diver's person. Along with being the co- inventor of the aqualung, Jacques Cousteau and his team experimented with the conshelf, and underwater housing unit, and was successful. "Cousteau's underwater stations predated the U.S. Navy Sealab Experiments."(Scientists: Their Lives and works). Cousteau's thirst for knowledge helped him invent many utilities that we use still to explore the ocean. The invention of the conshelf and aqualung show Cousteau's ambition that proves that he is a true hero.

Cousteau's second trait that makes him heroic is that he is caring. Cousteau used to think of the ocean as a resource for humans, but as Cousteau grew older and learned more about the ocean, he realized the ocean is too important to use it and pollute it like we do. "The greatest resource of the ocean is not material but the boundless spring of inspiration and well-being we gain from her. Yet we risk poisoning the sea forever just when we are learning her science, art, and philosophy and how to live in her embrace."(Loubere). In 1960 Cousteau helped stop the dumping of French nuclear waste into the Mediterranean Sea. Cousteau realized that the ocean is an invaluable part of our world and that the pollution needs to stop. As a filmmaker, Cousteau also made documentaries of the ocean to show a previously mysterious part of the earth to the whole world. Through Cousteau's documentaries, the world learned how beautiful and important the ocean is and how we were contributing to its destruction. Cousteau's ability to care and his actions because of that feeling show that he is a true hero for fighting for what he believes in.

Cousteau is a true hero for all the work he has done with the ocean. His intelligence helped him make utilities that we still use to this day to explore the ocean and his ability to care for the ocean was never-ending. Jacques Cousteau inspired us to find out things for ourselves and to take care of our ocean. Jacques Cousteau is a true hero.

Works Consulted

Wilkins, Dave. "Cousteau, Jacques-Yves (1910-1997)." Newsmakers. Ed. Terrie M. Rooney. Detroit: Gale Research, 1998. Student Resource Center - Gold. Gale. DEL NORTE HIGH SCHOOL. 21, May. 2010

Loubère, Leo A. "Cousteau, Jacques-Yves (1910-1997). "Encyclopedia of World Biography. Ed. Suzanne M. Bourgoin. 2nd ed. Detroit: Gale Research, 1998. 17 vols.Student Resource Center - Gold. Gale. DEL NORTE HIGH SCHOOL. 21 May. 2010

"Cousteau, Jacques Yves (1910-1997)." World of Invention. Ed. Kimberley A. McGrath. Online ed. Detroit: Thomson Gale, 2006. Student Resource Center - Gold. Gale. DEL NORTE HIGH SCHOOL. 21 May. 2010

"Cousteau, Jacques-Yves (1910-1997)." DISCovering Biography. Online ed. Detroit: Gale, 2003. Student Resource Center - Gold. Gale. DEL NORTE HIGH SCHOOL. 21 May. 2010

"Cousteau, Jacques (1910-1997)." Scientists: Their Lives and Works. Online ed. Detroit: U*X*L, 2006. Student Resource Center - Gold. Gale. DEL NORTE HIGH SCHOOL. 21 May. 2010

"Cousteau, Jean-Michel (1910-1997)." Newsmakers. Ed. Peter M. Gareffa. Detroit: Gale Research, 1988. Student Resource Center - Gold. Gale. DEL NORTE HIGH SCHOOL. 21 May. 2010