Expedition Crew

Alexandra Cousteau -- Executive Director, Expedition Leader -- National Geographic Emerging Explorer Alexandra Cousteau is a water baby of the first order. She was taught to dive by her grandfather Jacques-Yves Cousteau at aged seven, and was taken on her first expedition, to Easter Island, when she was four months old by her mother Jan and late father Philippe Cousteau, Sr. The ocean was practically a family member in her upbringing and the entire globe was her crib... 

Jonathan Smith -- Executive Producer, Director of Media and Communications -- At age 31, Jonathan Smith has the bio of an innovator and entrepreneur twice his age, at least. Through Blue Legacy, he applies his expertise in cause marketing, message management and grassroots advocacy to the global conversation about water... 

Ben Pederick -- Series Director -- After directing Expedition Blue Planet 2009, Ben has returned to join Alexandra to direct Expedition Blue Planet: North America. An award-winning environmental and human rights filmmaker, Ben has worked on productions with leading broadcasters and like-minded organizations such as National Geographic TV, Radio Free Asia, the United Nations, and USAID...

Ian Kellett -- Director of Photography -- Ian Kellett has been behind the camera filming everything from tiger sharks in West Australia for National Geographic to a “Top Gear” special on Evel Knievel right before he died. Highlights of Ian’s career include scoring the first video footage of a new primate species in Bolivia and riding a rodeo horse rodeo cowboy for all of four and a half seconds while making a film for PBS about the Miles City Bucking Horse Sale. That said his true passion lies in problem solving camera technology in extreme shoots like diving under ice floes or exploring the humid jungles of this planet’s most remote regions...

Christoph Schwaiger -- Filmmaker / Visual Designer -- After a childhood spent in Belgium and graduating from Visual Communication studies in Milan, Christoph Schwaiger continued his European tour by founding a graphic studio in Barcelona and then joining the broadcast design team of Premiere-TV in Hamburg, Germany.  Since 2001 he has been based out of Paris where he directs documentaries, film clips and advertising shoots. Over the last five years he has specialized in environmental films and communication...

Michael Duff -- Editor -- Michael Duff was born and raised in Paterson, a small country town on the east coast of Australia. He moved to the nations capital, Canberra, to study television production and multimedia at the University of Canberra. He graduated from his bachelors to begin a career as an editor on regional television, Channel 10, and then as a broadcast designer at Canberra's leading production facility, Bearcage, There, Michael produced media that ranged from boutique advertising to music video and documentary filmmaking...

Jonnie Morris -- Editor -- Jonnie Morris is an editor and director with a passion for documentary and environmental conservation. To prove it she graduated in 2005 with simultaneous degrees in both the Arts (Film & Television) and Science (Environmental Biology) from Deakin University in Melbourne, her hometown...

Sean Solowiej -- Sound Engineer -- Sean Solowiej has traveled and worked in turn as a mechanic, welder, carpenter, engineer, film editor, sound recordist and producer all across the United States but will be wearing the hat of Sound Engineer for Expedition Blue Planet: North America...

Oscar Durand -- Photojournalist -- Oscar Durand is a professional photojournalist with an edge for storytelling. He fell in love with photography while pursuing a career in engineering in his native country of Peru. In 2002 he moved to the United States to further pursue his passion for photojournalism. Since then his work has graced the pages of such august publications as the Newark Star Ledger, New York Times, Dallas Morning News, and the St. Louis Post-Dispatch...

Ali Sanderson -- Photographer and Field Producer -- Ali has worked as a professional photographer and video producer on productions with leading broadcasters such as National Geographic TV, Radio Free Asia. This is her second go at rallying the troops for Blue Legacy International; she accompanied Alexandra on her 2009 worldwide expedition investigating water issues as photographer and field producer, a role she is reprising for Expedition Blue Planet: North America...

Anne Casselman -- Writer -- Anne Casselman is a science writer who has written for Discover magazine, National Geographic News, ScientificAmerican.com, Discovery Channel magazine, PopularMechanics.com among other outlets. She is co-founder of Inkling magazine, a quirky science online magazine and has worked as an interpretive writer for museum exhibits as well for Vancouver-based web PR and marketing projects...

Jocelyn Pederick -- Editor -- Jocelyn is joining Expedition Blue Planet as its editor for the second time this year but this time from the ground at Blue Legacy’s offices in Washington DC, where she will be based. In the 15 years that Jocelyn has worked in media and film production she has produced, directed or edited films for Alexandra Cousteau, National Geographic, World Vision, Save the Children, Radio Free Asia, USAID, the International Labor Organization, Health Unlimited, Hagar International, UNAIP amongst others...