Alexandra Cousteau

Alexandra continues the work of her renowned grandfather Jaques-Yves Cousteau and father Philippe Cousteau.

"In 2008, she founded Blue Legacy, a Washington, D.C.–based nonprofit dedicated to exploring how humans relate to our water-based planet. Through projects like the recent Expedition: Blue Planet, Alexandra combines traditional film and social media to engage global audiences online—showing how individuals and communities contribute to an interdependent global water system, and how they can work together to protect it. In her first book This Blue Planet, to be published in 2011 by Dutton Publishing (a division of the Penguin Group), Alexandra will share stories and findings from her 100-day expedition—which took her from the Ganges River in India to the Okavango Delta in Botswana, throughout the Middle East and across both Cambodia and Australia.

"Educated in International Relations at Georgetown University, Alexandra brings expertise and energy to the environmental issues that matter most. And she’s quickly establishing a name of her own. In 2009, Alexandra joined the Discovery Channel line-up, co-hosting “Blue August” with brother Philippe, Jr and serving as a Chief Correspondent on Water Issues for Discovery’s Planet Green. In 2008, she was honored as a National Geographic’s “Emerging Explorers” Class of 2008—an elite group of eleven visionary young trailblazers from around the world who push the boundaries of discovery, adventure, and global problem solving. She has been honored as an “Earth Trustee” by the UN and regularly delivers testimony on critical policy issues before the U.S. Congress. She currently sits on the Board of Directors of the Global Water Challenge, Mother Nature Network, and EarthEcho; and the steering committee of The Shark Alliance."

• International Advisory Committee, Counterpart International