The “La Jolla – Monaco Science & Cultural Exchange” was established to promote sharing of the collective research and knowledge gathered over the years by the prestigious oceanography institutions of Scripps Institution of Oceanography in La Jolla, California, and the Musee Oceanographique de Monaco in the Principality of Monaco.

The committee officially formed in La Jolla on May 25, 2006 at a press conference at 464 Prospect Street on the ocean view roof deck that was formally the 1st Scripps Hospital built by Miss Ellen Browning Scripps. The committee officially formed in Monaco on June 22, 2006 at a press conference at the Musee Oceanographique de Monaco which was built by H.S.H. Prince Albert I.

The committee seeks to commemorate the historical leadership of the founding benefactors of the La Jolla and Monaco based oceanographic institutions, Miss Ellen Browning Scripps, and H.S.H. Prince Albert I, known as the “Father of Modern Oceanography”. The committee seeks to memorialize the visionary leadership of these two heroic benefactors who at the turn of the 20th century exhibited a vision which highlighted the importance for humanity to gather knowledge of our oceans as a means to preserve this valuable resource.

The committee formally kicked-off its formation with a “splash” with the arrival from the sea of La Jolla Town Council VP Anne Cleveland, a world long distance swimmer who swam from Cap Martin’ France to the Musee’ Oceanographique de Monaco on June 22, 2006. After the committee’s welcoming comments, La Jolla artist “Nora” presented as a “goodwill gift” a portrait of Miss Ellen Browning Scripps, Scripps Institution of Oeanography benefactor as a gift to the Musee from the Town of La Jolla.

The committee’s goal is to share in an exchange of oceanic knowledge by the world’s first oceanographic institutions by educating the importance of global-warming and the preservation of our oceans. The committee seeks to promote La Jolla which was founded as an art colony, and the historical contribution to European art by “Direction des Affaires Culturelles” the administrative body of Monaco’s Office of Cultural Affairs.
The committee seeks to “awaken creativity and sustain the cultural importance of art in our society.”

The committee has been greatly influenced in its formation by the recent April 2006 expedition to the North Pole by His Serene Highness Prince Albert II of Monaco which raised world-wide attention to global warming and its impending affect on our oceans.

In addition the committee is inspired locally by the leadership of CA Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger with his formation of a future ocean policy blueprint entitled “California Ocean Strategy.”

The committee references the alarming headlines of the San Diego Tribune’s April 21st, 2004 newspaper entitled “Oceanic Distress Signal,” which highlighted the release of the most comprehensive report on the world’s oceans in the past 30 years to the American people entitled, “2004 U.S. Commission on Ocean Policy.” The report chaired by (Ret.) Naval Admiral James Watkins, the recipient last year of the prestigious 2005 SeaKeeper’s Award at Showboats International in Monaco.

Essentially a federal panel of experts concluded, “that the ocean’s are exploited by over-fishing, fouled by chronic pollution, invaded by exotic species, and victimized by government bureaucracies.” Ironically, the same American baby- boomer generation that was introduced to the importance of ocean preservation by the U.S. television series, “The Undersea World of Jacques Cousteau” has now been given validation of Cousteau’s dire warning in the results in the “2004 Ocean Policy Commission Report.”

The former Director of the Musee in Monaco, Commander Jacques-Yves Cousteau, forewarned an entire generation when he said, “It is a shocking paradox that the precise moment in history when man is arriving at an understanding of the sea he should also have to face the question,” “If the oceans should die?” “Just now in our generation when after many thousands of years of ignorance and superstitions man is at last beginning to learn about managing and exploiting the vast resources of 70 percent of earth’s surface, he finds himself in a race against time to rescue it from his own spoliations!” (“The Ocean World of Jacques Cousteau” Vol. 1 Oasis in Space copyright 1973 Danbury Press).

The committee seeks to raise awareness internationally of the words of Jacques Cousteau which binds all citizens together when we recall him saying, “we all have an inherent responsibility to save our Oceans.” Commander Cousteau reminded us graphically of the consequences if we don’t act, when he said, “unless we take our inherent responsibility seriously, there will become waves of decaying organic matter, with a stench so foul it will drive people from our coastlines and into the mountains and the deserts.” Essentially Commander Cousteau described for us the consequences that would be the beginning of the end unless we take action worldwide.

At Scripps in La Jolla we proudly share in the leadership of former Director Charlie Kennel whose groundbreaking oceanic research helped to identify the increasing man-made carbon dioxide levels in our ocean’s. Director Kennel oversees worldwide ground-breaking scientific research on the importance for the future of mankind to sustain clean water – salt or fresh!

In Monaco we honor former director Prof. Jean Jaubert who continues the teaching legacy of Jacques Cousteau, and has bravely lead oceanic research to report the deepest recorded observations of coral bleaching and the degradation of coral reefs.

To compliment the La Jolla-Monaco exchange motto of “sharing oceanic knowledge” the committee announced a September 2006 La Jolla-Monaco Science & Cultural Exchange with the upcoming historic visit to La Jolla and Scripps Birch Aquarium by Prof. Jean Jaubert, current Director of the Musee Oceanographique de Monaco.

To compliment the La Jolla-Monaco exchange motto of “promotion of the arts”, the committee has identified fashion as art. The committee welcomes Monaco’s fashion designer Isabell Kristensen who will showcase her designs in La Jolla with Co-chair Dianne York-Goldman, CEO of La Jolla Spa MD, who will coordinate the models and the logistics for the upcoming fashion show in September 2006.

In closing our relationship with the sea may have best been summed up by the words of a young, John F. Kennedy when he said, “All of us have the same percentage of salt, in our blood, in our sweat, and in our tears. And when we go back to the sea to sail and swim upon it, we go back whense we came.”