Cousteau's

•Jean-Michel Cousteau's Ocean Adventures follows the Call of the Killer Whale (PBS, 9 ET/PT, times may vary).

Critic's Corner Wednesday 2009

I took off for four months on a round-the-world adventure exploring critical water issues with Jacques Cousteau's granddaughter Alexandra as the Expedition Writer.

The Life Out Loud: 7 Secrets to a More Joyful Existence 2011

As BP Deepwater Horizon shows, in images as grotesque as Cousteau's were gorgeous, we cannot let the ocean's mystery lull us into inaction.

Vikki N. Spruill: In Wake of BP Spill, Will We Save Our Oceans? Vikki N. Spruill 2010

That achievement probably did more to promote ocean preservation than all of Cousteau's television specials put together.

Jacques Cousteau: Tech Pioneer 2010

In a telephone interview from Venice, La. -- the town closest to the site of the leak on the gulf floor -- Cousteau's grandson Philippe Cousteau Jr. said his grandfather would have been astounded by what's happened over the past two months.

Philippe Cousteau Jr. says gulf oil spill would have amazed Jacques Cousteau 2010

There is, alas, also a lesson in the general treatment of Cousteau's media activities as more important than his invention.

Jacques Cousteau: Tech Pioneer 2010

Many remember Cousteau's pioneering explorations aboard his research vessel "Calypso" and the many television documentaries that he produced.

Jacques Cousteau: Tech Pioneer 2010

But much of the publicity has overlooked Cousteau's greatest achievement, which was not as a popularizer but as an inventor.

Jacques Cousteau: Tech Pioneer 2010

That Cousteau's role as inventor is getting so much less attention than his role as popularizer today probably says something unfortunate about contemporary society and its values.

Jacques Cousteau: Tech Pioneer 2010

Though Cousteau's television specials may have gotten the attention, the impact of recreational diving on the environment has probably been greater, and more lasting.

Jacques Cousteau: Tech Pioneer 2010