From the time he was "thrown overboard" by his father, Jean-Michel Cousteau has had a love of the ocean.
The well-known marine explorer, activist, educator and filmmaker spoke in the Schwab Auditorium on Monday evening to a nearly full house for the Schreyer Honors College's Fall Signature Lecture.
The son of famous explorer Jacques Cousteau spoke about the importance of conserving the ocean and of acknowledging the environmentally harmful practices of humans.
"I'm amazed I'm still saying what my father said to me as a teenager," Cousteau said. "We're making a lot of mistakes. We're not believing what some experts are telling us."
Cousteau showed footage of several ocean expeditions he has conducted in places like Canada and Hawaii. He explained how the animals that live in these environments are negatively impacted by climate change and pollution.
As founder and president of the Ocean Futures Society, a non-profit organization that aims to educate others on the importance of ocean protection, Cousteau urged the audience to take action in protecting the world's oceans.
Though most people in attendance were Penn State students and older State College locals, it was apparent Cousteau has also reached younger fans when two young boys approached the stage and gifted Cousteau with drawings and collages of sea creatures.
Chris Randby said he enjoyed the lecture but may have left the event more cynical than he was before hearing Cousteau speak.
"For the majority of people, it's 'out of sight out of mind,' " Randby (sophomore-advertising) said. "It takes more than a speaker to really get the majority of people to act."
