Alexandra Cousteau, who at seven learned to dive with her grandfather, the French explorer Jacques Cousteau, is putting her famous name to work with a 100-day, five-continent expedition around the world to draw attention to the worldwide water crisis.

Cousteau is documenting Expedition: Blue Planet with images, blog entries and videos that she hopes will inspire people around the world. Some videos are surprisingly uplifting, like one about the Okavango Delta in Botswana, which is beautifully clear and sustains hordes of wildlife like elephants, hippos and colorful birds. On the other end of the spectrum, a sadder story is told in the video of Delhi, India, where one-third of the city's 17.3 million inhabitants don't have access to clean water.

Cousteau emailed us a month into her journey to explain how her father and grandfather inspired her, and how she plans to continue delivering her message when the 100-day tour has ended.

1. How will this 100-day expedition get your message across about the worldwide water crisis?

What we’re trying to do is generate enthusiasm about critical water issues over the course of the 100-day Expedition by offering interactive content online, through partnerships, and through social media networks. By engaging people in our process of adventure and discovery, we hope to invite them to be part of the Expedition with us. Most of all, we hope to motivate them to take action in their own lives and their local communities, to conserve water, participate in programs with NGOs, and speak out to their representatives about water management.

2. What do you think is the public's biggest misunderstanding about the world's water supply?

That it’s infinite. While from outer space it looks like we live on a blue planet and indeed we do -- 70 percent of the Earth is covered by oceans -- only a tiny percentage of that water is fit for human consumption. If you could fit all the water in the world into a gallon jug, less than a teaspoon of that would be available as fresh water. There is no more water available now than when dinosaurs roamed the Earth. It’s a finite resource and we need to stop taking it for granted.

3. Do you think water should be the first and foremost topic discussed when it comes to preserving the environment?

I think water should be on the top of the agenda, at least in the top 2-3 issues not only in terms of the environment, but also in terms of development and humanitarian efforts. It’s our number one life support system and it influences every aspect of our society. No one can argue that it’s critical to our survival.

4. After the expedition is finished, what will be the next step in your effort to preserve water and get the message out? What kind of lasting effect do you hope the expedition will have?

We’ll be launching our Blue Campaign, which will leverage the adventure, the content, and the exposure of Expedition: Blue Planet to engage people more actively in being part of the solution to critical water issues. We will do this through individual outreach as well as educational partnerships, and providing ongoing opportunities for community engagement. Part of that effort includes gathering an interdisciplinary group of the world’s finest minds on water issues to discuss a new vision of where we need to go as a global community to protect, manage, and distribute this critical resource.

5. What do you think your dad would think about your expedition?

I think my father would be very excited that we are broadening our focus to look at the interconnectivity of water across fresh water and the salt water of our oceans. He’d be very excited about how we’re trying to use social media to get people to engage in water issues because he devoted his life first and foremost to telling stories in order to get people to take action.

6. How did your dad and grandfather inspire your work?

(My dad) and my grandfather inspire me in everything that I do.

As you can imagine, coming from the Cousteau family, water has always been an important part of my life. I learned to swim before I learned to walk, and I started diving with my grandfather when I was 7. But today, we’re facing new challenges and finding new solutions -- the legacy has evolved.