Fabien Cousteau is the first grandson of famed oceanographic explorer Jacques Cousteau and spent his early years aboard his famous grandfather’s ships, Calypso and Alcyone. He learned to scuba dive by age 4 and is well known for his study of sharks. He’s also known for working with local communities and children worldwide to help restore local water ecosystems . He continues to pursue these initiatives through the Fabien Cousteau Ocean Learning Center.

His current, exciting, and ambitious project is called Proteus, a state – of – the – art research lab expected to give rise to scientific breakthroughs not only in the field of ocean conservation but also in areas such as sustainable energy, medical and drug development, genetics, and food cultivation.

Proteus is designed to become the “underwater version of the International Space Station” and gives off major Sci – Fi vibes. The new project will allow Aquanauts to reside and work in these underwater habitats for up to 31 days, more than any other research station of this kind. The habitat will be submerged in a protected area off the coast of Curacao in the Caribbean, at a depth of about 18 meters. Construction began in 2022 with the habitat put on the sea bottom in 2025.

Fabien attended Norfolk Academy in Virginia and graduated from Boston University with a bachelor’s degree in environmental economics.