The Undersea World of Jacques Cousteau 1

How Marine biology influenced others through The Undersea World of Jacques Cousteau.
Unit I Pop Cultural Reflection and Analysis
Earl Lofland
English 102-401
May 26, 2016

The Undersea World of Jacques Cousteau 2

I Introduction
A. The sea, once it casts its spell, holds one in its nets of wonder forever.
~ Jacques Yves Cousteau June 11, 1910- June 25, 1997
I really don't know why it is that all of us are so committed to the sea, except I
think it's because in addition to the fact that the sea changes, and the light
changes, and ships change, it's because we all came from the sea. And it is an
interesting biological fact that all of us have in our veins the exact same
percentage of salt in our blood that exists in the ocean, and, therefore, we have
salt in our blood, in our sweat, in our tears. We are tied to the ocean. And when
we go back to the sea - whether it is to sail or to watch it - we are going back
from whence we came. ~ John F. Kennedy, at the Dinner for the America's Cup
Crews, September 14 1962
B. The Undersea World of Jacques Cousteau was a documentary television series,
and possibly had a key role in the evolution of reality TV shows.
C. The first documentary aired in 1966 and the series ran for several seasons,
II. Analyze the Rhetorical Context
A. The purpose of the show was to promote a greater understanding of the
underwater world to the television viewers and show the importance of
conservation.
B. The Undersea World of Jacques Cousteau energized the viewers with a concept of
reality, taking the viewers aboard the Calypso with him, fellow researchers and
scientists and crew.
C. The intended age of the audience bridged across the span of several generations.
III. Analyze the Original Historical and Cultural Context
A. Jacques Cousteaus show came about through an interest of the oceans, dating back to
when he was a child. However, in 1933 and automobile accident, requiring rehabilitation,
may be considered one of the leading catalysts for leading to his purpose in life when his

The Undersea World of Jacques Cousteau 3

friend, Philippe Tailliez gave Cousteau a pair of swimming goggles. This was beginning
of his exploration of mysteries within the sea, seeking to understand the underwater
world.
IV. Analyze the Persuasive Effects
A. There are many potential messages the series conveyed.: hard work and having a
commitment for your passion. Look beyond what you know, and accept challenges to
explore the unknown. The need for conservation and preservation of habitats and life.
The importance of teamwork to coordinate and execute safe and thorough research
expeditions that are potentially life threatening to the researchers and vessels crew.
B. This series was a tool promoting the values of conservation of the vast resources as well
as an essential tool to broaden the understanding and importance of scientific research in
a broad range of studies for preserving life is on Earth.
C. The series persuaded viewers through the use of a variety of settings worldwide, to have
an emotional bond with the entire staff aboard the Calypso, that developed character and
passion of some viewers to take these same challenges to another level.
V. Reflect on how your reactions to this pop culture are shaped by your identity or
experience (See p. 232)
A. While the series revealed the importance of conservation and preservation of natural
resources. There seems to be more that could be done.
B. There is a need for far more work to reverse what was neglected.
Introduction
The sea, once it casts its spell, holds one in its nets of wonder forever. ~ Jacques Yves Cousteau
I really don't know why it is that all of us are so committed to the sea, except I think it's because
in addition to the fact that the sea changes, and the light changes, and ships change, it's because

The Undersea World of Jacques Cousteau 4

we all came from the sea. And it is an interesting biological fact that all of us have in our veins
the exact same percentage of salt in our blood that exists in the ocean, and, therefore, we have
salt in our blood, in our sweat, in our tears. We are tied to the ocean. And when we go back to
the sea - whether it is to sail or to watch it - we are going back from whence we came. ~ John F.
Kennedy, Dinner for the America's Cup Crews, September 14 1962
The Undersea World of Jacques Cousteau was produced by David L. Wolper Productions (19661968) Les Rquins Associs (1968-1973 Metromedia Productions (1973). He series first aired
in 1966, and ran through 1976 taking the audience on the scientific expeditions of Jacques-Yves
Cousteau, his son Philippe and the crew of the vessel, the RV Calypso, which was named after
the Greek sea nymph who lived on the island of Ogygia in Homers poem Odyssey.
Cousteaus show come through the evolution of his research that began after World War II. He
and the crew of the Calypso traveled around the globe exploring various regions of the undersea
world, as they unlocked its secrets, capturing them on film, while bringing to millions of viewers
the importance of conservation, and preservation of a delicate ecosystem, dating back to 1950
when Cousteau first leased the vessel and wrote his first book (? The Secret World?) --------.
The series drew in viewers of all ages, though it was primarily focused on viewers who were in
their early teens and adults of all ages.
Analyze the Rhetorical Context
The purpose of the television series was to reveal the dangers existing in the wild, as well as
beneath the oceans, while educating viewers on importance of conservation and preservation of a
delicate ecosystem. Having his son Phillipe by his side gave rise show the importance of family

The Undersea World of Jacques Cousteau 5

participation, in order to educate the next generations of his family in the work he began- to
continue in his footsteps, while allowing the millions of viewers to see Cousteau and his son
Phillipe working together in the tasks of filming the shows expeditions. Rod Serling narrated in
one episode the horrid results of pollution in the Coral Sea, off New Caledonia, studied by
Cousteau, Phillipe, and the crew where they filmed a wide variety of marine life once thriving on
the coral beds, shown to be in danger due to, strip-mining slag that turned the coral into toxic
graves. Millions of television viewers witnessed fish gasping for oxygen; and sea snakes, now
immune to pollution, overtaking other species.

Analyze the Original Historical and Cultural Context

Jacques Cousteaus show came about through an interest of the oceans, dating back to when he
was a child. However, in 1933 and automobile accident, requiring rehabilitation, may be
considered one of the leading catalysts for leading to his purpose in life when his friend, Philippe
Tailliez gave Cousteau a pair of swimming goggles. This was beginning of his exploration of
mysteries within the sea, seeking to understand the underwater world. In 1950, he founded the
French Oceanographic Campaigns (FOC), where he began carrying out archaeological
excavations and underwater research on board the research vessel Calypso.

IV. Analyze the Persuasive Effects

In one particular episode viewers titled Water Planet viewers were shown the sea's enormous
resources, the potential human causes to deplete them where Maldive fishermen, who only catch

The Undersea World of Jacques Cousteau 6

only what they consume to, modern fishing fleets, which waste a considerable portion of what is
caught in the huge nets
Cousteau carried the message of the show outside of the television series. In an interview
conducted by Alice Ballard in 1969, Cousteau responded to the dangers of pollution. Pollution
is actually invading the entire ocean everywhere. Theres no place where pollution is not
acute, but, of course, in coastal areas it is more so. Just off some very popular jet-set types of
beaches, the pollution is so bad that, if a swimmer drinks about half a glass of sea water, he has a
chance out of five to get hepatitis. In the many interviews, Cousteau continuously pointed to the
need of public opinion being vital to ensuring political elements would

Reflect on how your reactions to this pop culture are shaped by your identity or experience
A. While the series revealed the importance of conservation and preservation of natural
resources. There seems to have been more that should have been done.
B. There is a need for far more work to reverse what was neglected.

Evidence of neglect in conservation is revealed all over the world. Locally the
damages can be seen here in Delaware, with an endangered population of
the eastern oyster, (Crassostrea viginica), the depletion has been caused as
a result of disease known as Dermo and MSX (Virginia Institute of Marine
Sciences ) as well as overharvesting and the lack of preservation and
conservation (Powell 2008),giving rise to the question, was there more that

The Undersea World of Jacques Cousteau 7

could have been done sooner, to prevent what has occurred to the eastern
oyster, that were once so abundant oyster reefs formed a barrier to the
coastlines of New Jersey and Delawares shore along the Delaware Bay and
River. The television series The Undersea World of Jacques Cousteau was one
of the many educational tools used to help expand what I was being taught
in real life experiences, through hands on skills, that included helping my
grandfather with the 5 acres of land he used to grow produce, as well as
hunting for food on the farms of other members of the family members
farms, as well as trapping and commercially fishing the Delaware Estuary, all
this was grooming me to have a greater understanding and appreciation for
life- that there is more to life than just making a living. Life is living, and
being taught to understand the importance of maintaining ecological
balances along with sustaining life. Over the years of seeing the impact
pollution has on the Delaware Estuary it eventually, over a span of many
years drew me towards seeing a need for educating others on the
importance of oyster reefs, and eventually this led to forming an organization
Delaware Bay Oyster Replenishment Assistance that would focus on a
number of objectives that including rebuilding man made oyster reeds along
the Delaware River at a sight at Woodland Beach, east of Smyrna, DE, that
was provided by the State of Delawares Adopt A Wetland program . Just as
Cousteau noted in many of the interviews he done over the years, and as Bill
Eichbaum, vice president of marine and Arctic policy at World Wildlife Fund
(WWF), stated If Cousteau were alive today, he would probably be

The Undersea World of Jacques Cousteau 8

saddened by how little has been done to address pollution, overfishing, and
other threats to the world's oceans. (National Geographic News). To
further question whether more could be done is shown in the lackluster
approach where Delaware bans oyster farming on the Delaware River and
bay for non-consumption use which delays reversing the existing damage
that has been done to the estuary[s very delicate eco system, that in part
is due to toxins released into the environment. Other evidence of the harm
done to coastal waters and oceans, on a much broader scale include the
Exxon Valdez oil spill, the off shore oil rig disaster that occurred in 2010 in
the Gulf of Mexico by British Petroleum, as well nuclear waste that is still
being released in to the Pacific Ocean from the Fukashima Nuclear Plant in
Japan, when a tsunami destroyed the emergency generators that cooled
the reactors, causing them to overheat leading to three nuclear meltdowns,
releasing dangerous levels of radioactive material in March 2011. These
disasters and the release of toxins in coastal waters such as Polychlorinate
biphenyl (PCB), Polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE), Arsenic, Dioxin, DDT all play
a role of endangering all life on the planet.
The Delaware Estuary, is not immune to these dangers of contamination,
caused by pathogenic waste, that are released either by plants being poorly
regulated, as well chemical being released in the watersheds caused by
drainage run-off.

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The Delaware Estuary includes 5 major drainage basins, with 44 watersheds

in Delaware. The entire estuary also includes other basins and watersheds in
NY, NJ, PA, and portions of Maryland. Currently Delawares Division of Fish
and Wildlife have issued fish-consumption advisories for the entire Delaware
Estuary, warning women and children not to consume any fish (including
shellfish) caught in the Estuary (DNEC 2015-2016). Adult males are warned
to eat no more than 8 ounces of fish caught in the Estuary per year. This
advisory exist for waters in all Estuary states and along the Delaware River.
Dangerous levels of contaminants found in estuarine fish, resulting in these
consumption advisories by the EPA and DNREC include PCBs, mercury,
dioxins/furans, and chlorinated pesticides, including
dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane, better known as DDT, and PFOA (Teflon
(Adkins, 2008), (Mauriello, 2009)

Conclusion
These dangers, and other ecological problems are being addressed more
today by many organizations throughout the world, including state
environmental agencies which arose, primarily from the years of dedication
the entire Cousteau family have worked on, including the TV series The
Underwater World of Jacques Cousteau that brought awareness of the threats
to our environment.

The Undersea World of Jacques Cousteau 10

Captain Jacques-Yves Cousteau is also most likely to be the one man responsible for the
widespread interest in underwater exploration and development globally that began during a time
when mankind began exploring the possibility of reaching outer space Jacques-Yves Cousteau
began a quest, to explore deeper into the oceans and filming life never before seen. Because of
the series, and what Cousteau began in 1950 has continued on into the 21st century. Since The
Undersea World of Jacques Cousteau first aired, other popular shows have been aired on
television, that includes Blue Planet, The Crocodile Hunter, staring the late Steve Irwin. And the
show staringbiologist Jeremy Wade, River Monsters. Jacques-Yves Cousteau and his son
Phillipes legacy live on today, through Alexandra Cousteau, daughter of Phillipe, as she
continues in the work of her grandfather Jacques- Yves Cousteau. Today Alexandra is a National
Geographic explorer, filmmaker and advocate on water issues around the world. In May 2016
Alexandra received an honorary Doctor of Humane Letters Degree from Georgetown University,
her alma mater She is working with the organization Oceana as a senior advisor, who is
benefiting through her drawing in a larger audience through expeditions, events and advocacy,
and continuing on with her grandfathers legacy. Alexandra is currently working on a
documentary about the oceans with Oceana, an organization established in 2001 by a group of
leading foundations, that include The Pew Charitable Trusts, Oak Foundation, Marisla
Foundation (formerly Homeland Foundation), and the Rockefeller Brothers Fund. exclusively
working to protect and restore the oceans on a global scale (Oceana)

Citation Information

The Undersea World of Jacques Cousteau 11

Captain Jacques-Yves Cousteau: Oceanographer A Plowboy Interview conducted by Alice

Ballard interviewing Captain Jacques-Yves Cousteau, director of Musee Oceanographic,
Monaco, at Oceanography 2000 in Annapolis, Md., in 1969.
http://www.motherearthnews.com/nature-and-environment/jacques-cousteauzmaz70sozgoe.aspx?PageId=8#ArticleContent
Powell, E.N, Ashton-Alcox,K.A, John N. Kraeuter, J.N, Susan E. Ford,S.E, & Bushek, D.
(2008) Long-term trends in oyster population dynamics in Delaware Bay: Regime
shifts and response to disease Journal of Shellfish Research, Vol. 27, No. 4, 729755,
2008.
Homer. The Odyssey. Samuel Butler. Based on public domain edition, revised by Timothy Power and
Gregory Nagy. A. C. Fifield, London. (n.d) (Scroll 5-6)
http://www.perseus.tufts.edu/hopper/text?doc=Perseus:text:1999.01.0136
Hamblin J.D, Poison in the well: Radioactive waste in the oceans at the dawn of the nuclear
age Wikipedia Jacques Cousteau (2016) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jacques_Cousteau
Than K. Jacques Cousteau Centennial: What he did, why he matters marking Cousteau's hundredth
anniversaryfive successes, one great legacy. National Geographic News (2010)
http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2010/06/100611-jacques-cousteau-100thanniversary-birthday-legacy-google/
Kennedy J.F. Presentation of National Geographic Societys Gol Meal to Captain Cousteau (1961)
John F. Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum http://www.jfklibrary.org/AssetViewer/Archives/JFKPOF-138-005.aspx

The Undersea World of Jacques Cousteau 12

Kennedy J.F. Remarks at the America's Cup Dinner Given by the Australian Ambassador,
September 14, 1962 http://www.jfklibrary.org/Research/Research-Aids/JFKSpeeches/Americas-Cup-Dinner_19620914.aspx

Jacques Cousteau Biography Author Biography.com Editors Publisher A&E Television Networks
(n.d.)
State of Delaware Dept. of Natural Resources Division of Fish and Wildlife 201516
DELAWARE FISH CONSUMPTION ADVISORIES
http://www.dnrec.delaware.gov/fw/Fisheries/pages/advisories.aspx
Executive director Adkins, J., State Exec. Dir Partnership for the Delaware
Estuary (2008) Vol. 18 Issue 3, Partnership for the Delaware Estuary
Environmental Working Group Teflon chemical harmful at smallest does:
PFOA found in 94 public water systems in 27 states (2015)
Mauriello, M.N., NJ Department of Environmental Protection, PFOA pollution in
the vicinity of the DuPont Chambers Works facility, Deepwater, Salem
County, New Jersey (2009)
http://delawareriverkeeper.org/sites/default/files/resources/Letters/PFO
A_pollution_in_the_vicinity_of_the_DuPont_Chambers_Works_Facility_428-09.pdf

The Undersea World of Jacques Cousteau 13

Rich N. The lawyer who became DuPonts worst nightmare New York Times
Magazine (2016) http://www.nytimes.com/2016/01/10/magazine/thelawyer-who-became-duponts-worst-nightmare.html?_r=0
Oceana, Inc. http://oceana.org/about-oceana/about-us
Oyster Diseases of the Chesapeake Bay Dermo and MSX Fact Sheet Virginia Institute of
Marine Science (n.d.) http://www.vims.edu/_docs/oysters/oyster-diseases-CB.pdf