Swiss luxury watchmaker IWC is sponsoring a new expedition by the Cousteau Society to the coral reefs of the Red Sea. It’s the first time the society, founded in 1974 by the late oceanologist Jacques Cousteau and supported by membership fees and donations, has taken a partner.

The expedition, now under way, comes 50 years after the first of Cousteau’s own three expeditions to the underwater world of the Red Sea, which he documented in several films, including The Silent World (the first documentary to win the Palme d’Or at the Cannes Film Festival) and World Without Sun, which won an Oscar.

The society’s marine biologists, doctors, and other scientists use a new research vessel called Alcyone—successor to Cousteau’s ship, Calypso—to evaluate the condition of the reefs and look at environmental management and sustainable development of the region.

“This expedition wouldn’t have been possible without the substantial commitment of IWC,” said Francine Cousteau at the Monaco Yacht Club. “We’re very pleased to have found a partner who suits us ideally.”