Jacques Cousteau may well have done more than anyone in history to educate humankind about the wonders of our underwater world, and to inspire entire generations with his never-ending quest to study and protect our planet's largest and most unexplored frontier.

To most, he is best known for his acclaimed television series The Undersea World of Jacques Cousteau. From the research ship Calypso, we traveled with Cousteau and his crew on a journey of discovery that took us around the world and to the depths of the seas. We came to understand the magical beauty of the undersea world, its creatures and their link to our survival. For the first time, millions of people were brought face-to-face with sharks, whales, dolphins, sea turtles, octopuses and other seldom-seen species.

Cousteau also saw first-hand — and let us see — the pollution that was fouling the oceans thousands of miles from land, and jeopardizing the very existence of life in the underwater world. We can only speculate on how many were moved toward a conservation commitment or to action by images brought home by Jacques Cousteau.

Jacques Cousteau was far more than a television figure — he was a true modern day explorer, researcher and pioneer. As co-inventor of today's SCUBA gear, he even helped to open the undersea world for first hand exploration by others.

It is little wonder that some have dubbed Jacques Cousteau the Rachel Carson of the seas.