OCEAN explorer Jean-Michel Cousteau, son of the legendary late Jacques Cousteau, will be speaking at the Bermuda Biological Station for Research (BBSR) this spring.

Mr. Cousteau will speak at BBSR's gala fund-raising evening at the Fairmont Hamilton Princess Hotel on April 24.

Mr. Cousteau is a world-renowned advocate for ocean protection and has produced films that have won Emmy and Peabody awards.

Like his father, he is an explorer of the most remote marine environments, as well as an environmental ambassador to governments and events around the world.

"Over the years, the Cousteau family has motivated many people to get excited about the ocean and then go into studying it," BBSR Director Dr. Tony Knap said.

"Jean-Michel's father, Jacques, certainly inspired me through some of his earlier films to drop medicine and get involved in oceanography."

Jean-Michel Cousteau is founder and president of the Ocean Futures Society, a non-government organisation dedicated to the protection of the world's oceans through education and activism.

"Jean-Michel has inherited the mantle of ocean explorer and caretaker from his father, and he has swum with it," said Oceana CEO Andrew Sharpless. "The extraordinary spirit of the Cousteau family is alive and well."

Mr. Cousteau might be best known for his award-winning ocean documentaries, having produced more than 70 films.

The Al Copley Quintet, the blues and jazz band that entertained the guests at the BBSR's Centennial Gala last March, is returning by popular demand to join Mr. Cousteau at the April event.

The proceeds of a silent auction held during the gala evening will benefit BBSR's world-renowned marine research and educational initiatives.

For more information about BBSR's gala fund-raising evening, contact Vanessa Shorto at 297-1880, extension 204.