13.7 BILLION YEARS EXCLUSIVE: Interview with Philip Renaud, Executive Director, Living Oceans Foundation (Part 1 of 5)

Capt. PHILIP G. RENAUD, USN (Ret.)
Executive Director
Living Oceans Foundation

Next year, an epic, three-year sea journey is set to begin -- the Global Reef Expedition: Science Without Borders®, a mission that will circumnavigate the globe, taking an inventory of the planet's coral reefs. Beset by climate change, overfishing, pollution and human development, these "rainforests of the sea" are in danger. It will take an extensive and comprehensive study -- and the participation of many nations -- to truly assess how they're doing and what should be done to protect them.

Not since the famed oceanographer Jacques-Yves Cousteau took to the seas in his mobile laboratory Calypso in the early 1950s has a journey of this magnitude been undertaken. And this important mission is being led by Captain Philip G. Renaud, USN (Ret.), who for the past five years has been serving as the Executive Director of the Living Oceans Foundation, a private operating foundation started by HRH Prince Khaled bin Sultan of Saudi Arabia dedicated to the preservation of the world’s marine environments.

Capt. Renaud’s career in oceanography began at the Naval Academy where he earned a Bachelor of Science in Oceanography in 1979. During his distinguished 25-year career in the Navy, Capt. Renaud served as the oceanographer for the aircraft carrier USS Theodore Roosevelt, the lead oceanographer for the Commander, Second Fleet, and finally the Commanding Officer of the Naval Oceanographic Office.

13.7 Billion Years asked Capt. Renaud some questions to find out more about his upcoming journey and his thoughts about the state of the world’s oceans.

In the first part of our exclusive five-part interview, Capt. Renaud discusses the Foundation, His Royal Highness Prince Khaled and the connection of coral reefs to human health.

PART 1

13.7: Were you always interested in the sea?

Renaud: I grew up in New England and developed a love of the sea. I had great sailing adventures as a boy – Buzzards Bay is a lovely place to sail. When I turned 18 and entered the U.S. Naval Academy, I majored in oceanography to learn more about the sea.

13.7: How did your interest in oceanography turn into an interest in ocean conservation?

Renaud: I was an oceanographer with the Navy for over 20 years. During my Navy career, I got involved in many aspects of physical oceanography; all with the goals to keep naval operations safe and to optimize the effectiveness of naval systems and sensors (above and below the ocean surface). Throughout my Navy career, I gained an appreciation for ocean conservation and my career spanned a period of public awakening about the importance of life in the sea.

13.7: How did you get involved with the Living Oceans Foundation and Global Reef Expedition?

Renaud: The Vice Chairman of the Foundation’s board of directors is distinguished retired Air Force General Chuck Horner. He was the chairman of the Selection Committee when the Foundation was seeking a new Executive Director. With the Foundation’s emphasis on shipboard research operations, he thought that naval oceanography might be a good fit – that’s how I came into the picture. At the time, I was the Commanding Officer of the Naval Oceanographic Office and reaching the end of my career with the Navy – after all, 25 years is a good run. The timing was perfect for me.

13.7: The Living Oceans Foundation was founded by Prince Khaled bin Sultan, the eldest son of Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia. Can you explain the prince’s vision of “Science Without Borders®”?

Renaud: Prince Khaled has admired the success of the “Doctors Without Borders®” organization for quite some time and thought that we could have the same impact on marine conservation by harnessing the expertise of scientists from around the world. When he created the Living Oceans Foundation, he registered the trademark “Science Without Borders®.” Our new Global Reef Expedition will be an opportunity for us to institutionalize Prince Khaled’s vision. We’ll bring together scientists from around the world on our research ship to tackle the coral reef crisis in a spirit of international cooperation. It’s amazing to see how a common objective, such as coral reef conservation, can melt away political differences.

13.7: On the Living Oceans Foundation Web site, Prince Khaled – who is also Saudi Arabia’s Assistant Minister of Defense and Aviation and a member of the Saudi Royal family – writes, “As a young boy in Riyadh, I spent some time wandering the desert, and was surprised to find the fossilized remains of sea creatures. I realized then that much of the flat, endless desert of Arabia was in fact an ancient seabed.” He sounds like a pretty interesting person.

Renaud: It has been a fascinating experience working for Prince Khaled that I have enjoyed tremendously. That being said, a truly fortunate person gets to work for someone who he/she admires and respects as a person. With that perspective, I couldn’t have chosen a better “boss”; Prince Khaled is a great man.

13.7: Prince Khaled has hosted many international oceanographers aboard his ships to conduct crucial research to help preserve and increase our understanding of life in the ocean. Does he come along for some of the dives?

Renaud: Prince Khaled loves scuba diving – and he’s a good diver. He tries his best to join us on each research expedition to meet the scientists and to dive with us to watch our work underwater. Last year, we had two of his sons on the ship driving our underwater remote operated vehicle (ROV). Obviously, they had some previous experience with using a joystick. After all, operating an ROV is just like a playing a video game – only more expensive if you crash it.

13.7: Both you and Prince Khaled fell in love with the sea as young boys. Do you think that this is something people can develop at any time in their lives?

Renaud: Absolutely! I’d say that everyone should read 50 Ways to Save the Ocean written by my friend, David Helvarg. One good way the public can save the ocean is to experience it (need I say in a responsible manner?) – you’ll end up loving it and protecting it for your kids and grandchildren. David recommends getting married on a beach! You’ll always have an intimate connection with the sea if you do. I’d recommend that everyone try snorkeling and scuba diving. Also, I just watched the IMAX 3D film Sharks. I’d recommend everyone go see that if you want to see spectacular animals in their natural environment. You’ll gain a new appreciation for life in the sea.



The Indo-Pacific Anemonefish (genus Amphiprion) has a symbiotic relationship with poisonous sea anemones. Also known as clownfish, they are immune to the stinging cells (nematocysts) of their hosts, which paralyze other fish. This twoband anemonefish (Amphiprion bicinctus), the most common anemonefish in the Red Sea, is using the flowing tentacles of its host anemone as a protective shield from predators. The anemonefish in turn eats undigested food that might otherwise harm the anemone, and the fish's fecal matter also provide nutrients to its gracious host. [image credit: this photo was taken on May 8, 2006, in the Farasan Islands by Annelise Hagan]


13.7: Coral reefs are often called the “rainforests of the sea.” Can you explain what that means?

Renaud: When the world was getting very concerned about deforestation, scientists were pointing out how much biodiversity was contained in the rainforest ecosystem and how little of the earth is covered by rainforests. The undersea analogy is the coral reef ecosystem – it sustains about the same amount of biodiversity as the rainforests and coral reefs cover much less than 1% of the ocean area.

13.7: And like rainforests, do coral reefs contain substances that could yield a variety of medicines?

Renaud: Botanists and chemists have long prospected in tropical rainforests for active and unusual substances to meet human needs. They have pretty much exhausted that search. However, the richest source of these compounds lies in the world’s oceans, which may contain as many as two million as yet undiscovered species. So deriving medicines from organisms in the sea is a very exciting scientific endeavor.

13.7: What kinds of medicines are we talking about?

Renaud: Well, compounds from marine sources are now being tested as treatments for chronic pain, asthma and various malignancies, including breast cancer. There are also new generations of industrial chemicals being developed, such as extremely powerful adhesives. Do you know that cone snails are highly toxic to humans?

13.7: No, what’s a cone snail?

Renaud: They are beautiful little snails but really dangerous marine animals. You may be tempted to pick one up but they can give a nasty sting that can be life threatening. They use a unique conopeptide as a toxin to stun their prey. It is highly potent biomedically and the first commercially available drug to be approved is being prescribed under the brand name Prialt. This drug, derived from a cone snail, is 1,000 times more potent than morphine, yet does not lead to tolerance or addiction. This is a fantastic product to relieve chronic pain because the doctor does not have to keep increasing the dosage as with morphine pain medicines.

13.7: So part of marine conservation is about protecting this valuable “underwater pharmacy.”

Renaud: Wouldn’t it be wasteful if we keep degrading the health of the ocean, driving species to extinction, before we can even discover many of these helpful compounds? Kathleen Frith at the Harvard Medical School Center for Health and the Global Environment runs a program called “Healthy Ocean: Healthy Humans” which makes the public aware of the various benefits to human health that the ocean provides.

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In Part 2 of our interview, Capt. Renaud discusses living underwater, the effects of artificial fertilizer on the human population and the biggest misconception people have about the sea

In Part 3, Capt. Renaud shares some thoughts about the Roman Colosseum, lionfish and President Obama.

In Part 4, Capt. Renaud talks about the Navy, market-based conservation initiatives and the Global Reef Expedition.

In Part 5, Capt. Renaud recalls his fondest memory of the sea, recommends an excellent cookbook and talks about the future.