Interview of Nicolas Gilbert by Anne-Charlotte Blan
Nicolas Gilbert the soul of an Ecocitizen at sea
It is on the pier in the harbour of Sanary sur mer, a small coastal village in the south of France, that we met with Nicolas Gilbert, member of the Antinea Foundation and one of the foundation’s expedition managers. This is a story of a man who has spent a great deal of his life underwater. Self-taught in the field of information technology, he continually seeks to share his passion for the under-water world through the constantly changing world of multimedia.
How did your passion for the ocean begin?
As a young boy, I was fascinated by Cousteau’s documentaries. At the age of 14, I did my first dive in a swimming pool. From there on, my interest grew more serious and knew I wanted to make a living out of scuba diving. After following courses at the National Institute of Professional Scuba-diving (INPP - France), I succeeded in making my dream come true by becoming a professional tech diver at the age of 19. Because of my young age, I had to get special authorisation in order to make a living based on my training. I started working for the largest off-shore company at that time, COMEX (Maritime Expertise Company), where I gained invaluable experience in the marine world and underwater work.
How did you come up with the idea of creating GEOM?
After quitting my underwater working activities, I dedicated myself to underwater filming. I then found opportunities to work in collaboration with various organisations active in environmental protection. I soon realised that there were very few educational tools for children that covered the marine environment. Creating GEOM, with the aim of producing multimedia tools on the subject of underwater discovery, was a way to respond to this gap in the system.
Can you tell us about some of the multi-media tools you have created?
Initially, the idea was to create and provide a range of free, standalone learning tools for teachers who could then independently inform kids on various topics using a DVD. Each DVD is created by a team of professionals, graphic designers, actors, musicians and scientists, all in collaboration with a professionally active teacher, thereby enabling us to model content around the current school curriculum.
In parallel, we have developed a system for live underwater communications: the underwater duplex video system. To explain: on one side, we have members of the public, comfortably installed in a room with a large screen, sound, microphone etc.. On the other, I am in the water with my camera, a full face mask headphones and microphone. The public can therefore see what I see, while asking me questions. This interaction between the diver and the public provides a chance for those who have never been underwater to get a feel for the experience. One of the innovations is that with this system, we can transmit to a room up to 10 km from the dive site.
How did get involved with Antinea and how did you meet Ronald Menzel?
I met Ronald and learned about Antinea around four years ago, through a friend we have in common. After talking to Ronald, I realised that I had already been in communication with him, through a website, regarding diving equipment, for which I was the forum moderator. Once he explained his great project to me, I immediately wanted to get involved.
What will be your primary role within Antinea?
I was assigned by the Foundation’s Council to act as co-director of expeditions. My work will involve coordinating the various scientific projects, filming and sharing the experience on board Fleur de Passion. I will also oversee all aspects of diving while onboard. In my role, I will be responsible for ensuring good management and security during the expedition. On a personal level, I am living a childhood dream, by following in the footsteps of Albert Falco who was head of expeditions onboard Calypso.
