On August 23, Keep Tahoe Blue will host a unique guest speaker event at the University of Nevada, Reno at Lake Tahoe. Jean-Michel Cousteau, President & CEO of Ocean Futures Society, and one of the world’s most renowned oceanographers, will bring his global perspective to Lake Tahoe. Known for his ability to connect people to the natural world through storytelling and science, Jean-Michel will share his message: protecting one body of water means protecting them all.
A legacy shaped by the sea
Photo Credit: CEV4211 – © Carrie Vonderhaar, Ocean Futures Society
Jean-Michel Cousteau grew up aboard his father Jacques Cousteau’s research vessels, traveling the world’s oceans before most children learn to ride a bike. Under the mentorship of his father, a pioneering oceanographer and filmmaker, Jean-Michel learned that exploration, appreciation, and protection are inseparable.
He has carried that ethos and expanded a global mission to educate people about the interconnection between all waters — and the animals, plants, and people who depend upon them. In his decades as an impassioned humanitarian, he has documented environmental change, advocated for marine sanctuaries, and advised leaders at the highest levels of government and industry.
Jean-Michel founded Ocean Futures Society in 1999 as a “Voice for the Ocean” and has inspired people of all generations to act responsibly by protecting the planet’s waters, from the deepest ocean trenches to fragile coastal habitats. Through his work of inspirational, award-winning documentaries, programs and projects, and live multimedia presentations, he has reached millions worldwide. On August 23, Jean-Michel is bringing a lifetime of experience to Lake Tahoe for the first time ever.
Tahoe and the ocean: one connected system
It can be easy to see Lake Tahoe and the Pacific Ocean as separate worlds — one a high alpine lake, the other a vast saltwater expanse. But Cousteau sees them as chapters in the same story. The Sierra Nevada, home to Lake Tahoe, acts as a “water tower for the West,” collecting snow and rain that feed rivers that flow all the way to the Pacific.
California’s rivers provide drinking water for millions, irrigation for one of the world’s largest agricultural economies, and habitat for a global hotspot for biodiversity. Pollution, climate change, and unsustainable development in one part of the system ripple downstream, eventually reaching the ocean.
Two icons, one mission
Photo Credit: 016.5142.nm – © Nan Marr, Ocean Futures Society
Keep Tahoe Blue and Ocean Futures Society share a belief in the power of science-based research, education, and advocacy to create change.
- Keep Tahoe Blue has spent nearly 70 years protecting Tahoe’s clarity, health, and beauty, using research, innovative tools and approaches to protect, conserve, and restore the Lake Tahoe Basin.
- Ocean Futures Society applies a global lens, working to inspire stewardship of all waters through education, expeditions, and documenting the critical connection between humanity and nature.
By inviting Jean-Michel Cousteau to speak, Keep Tahoe Blue ties together two pillars of environmental stewardship, offering a rare chance to connect with one of the most influential and significant environmental voices of our time. The intersection of these two conservation movements has shaped how people think and act to protect the waters they love.
Why now matters
Lake Tahoe is facing increasing environmental challenges: invasive species, pollution from runoff, and the impacts of climate change. On the global stage, the ocean faces its own pressures, like overfishing, plastic pollution, coral bleaching, and rising sea levels.
As members of the cause to Keep Tahoe Blue know well, Jean-Michel comes at a time when public awareness must translate into sustained, informed action. His vast experience linking science, education, and community engagement aligns with Keep Tahoe Blue’s mission to protect, restore, and advocate for the Lake. His voice reinforces the urgent truth that safeguarding Tahoe is part of a bigger story that connects Lake Tahoe to the world’s waters.
His message is clear that change is possible, but it requires all of us. He urges people to experience nature firsthand, believing that connection leads to care. Whether it’s a child seeing Tahoe’s clarity for the first time or a diver exploring a reef, those moments can spark a lifetime of environmental stewardship.
A rare opportunity to hear from a global voice
Photo Credit: JMC 9_© Richard Murphy Ocean Futures Society
This one-night only event is not just about gaining knowledge — it’s a call to the next generation of environmental leaders. For those attending, it’s a chance to see Lake Tahoe through the eyes of someone who has circled the globe in search of solutions and who understands how deeply the future of all waters are tied together.
Join us on August 23 in Incline Village for this invaluable opportunity to learn from Jean-Michel Cousteau and strengthen our commitment to protecting Lake Tahoe and the world’s oceans.
Jean-Michel Cousteau: Protecting Our Waters
August 23, 2025 | UNR at Lake Tahoe, Incline Village
This is a special outdoor, picnic-style event. Please feel free to bring your favorite blanket and low-back chairs for comfort. Food will be available for purchase, and you are welcome to bring your own family-friendly snacks. Beer will be sold at the event; however, outside alcohol is not permitted. We look forward to celebrating with you in this beautiful setting.
About Jean-Michel Cousteau & Ocean Futures Society:
Explorer. Diplomat. Environmentalist. Educator. Film Producer. Author. Architect. Diver.
For over six decades Jean-Michel Cousteau has dedicated himself inspiring people of all generations & nations to act responsibly protecting the ocean & our planets water ecosystems that are so intricately connected to the survival of all life. His reputation & vast experience of 80 years of diving and exploration began a generation ago with his father, Jacques Cousteau aboard Calypso and Alcyone. Jean-Michel founded Ocean Futures Society in 1999 as a “Voice for the Ocean” reaching millions of people globally with his inspirational films, multimedia, programs & projects & Live multimedia presentations. An impassioned global humanitarian he inspires young people & families plus community decision-makers, governments & industry energizing alliances for positive change protecting our planet through wise sustainable environmental policy.
About the University of Nevada, Reno at Lake Tahoe:
Located less than one mile from the shoreline of Lake Tahoe, the University of Nevada, Reno at Lake Tahoe’s Wayne L. Prim Campus merges experiences across education, research, creative and scholarly work in a stunning mountain environment. With the backdrop of the Sierra Nevada and Lake Tahoe as inspiration, we invite students and faculty, researchers and scholars, artists and leaders to our campus for cutting-edge collaborations and interdisciplinary activities.
Join us in the mountains where art, science and the environment meet.