Kristina M. Gjerde

Kristina M. Gjerde is Senior High Seas Advisor to IUCN’s Global Marine and Polar Programme. A graduate of New York University School of Law, Kristina is a recognized expert in the legal aspects of international marine conservation and management. She has published widely on fisheries, shipping, law of the sea and marine biodiversity conservation issues and serves as an advisor to governments, international organizations and non-governmental organizations. Recent publications include: “Ocean in Peril: reforming the management of global ocean living resources in areas beyond national jurisdiction” (Marine Pollution Bulletin) “Using the Public Trust Doctrine to Achieve Ocean Stewardship” (Cambridge University Press) and “Challenges to Protecting the Marine Environment beyond National Jurisdiction” (International Journal of Marine and Coastal Law).

Kristina has specialized in admiralty law at the New York City law firm of Lord, Day & Lord, served as a research fellow at the Marine Policy Center of WHOI and at the Law School of the University of Hull (UK), and represented WWF at the International Maritime Organization in London. In 2003, she was awarded a Pew Fellowship in Marine Conservation to support her work on high seas governance reform. Since then Kristina has sparked a global movement for high seas conservation and has co-founded five thriving initiatives: the Deep Sea Conservation Coalition, the Global Ocean Biodiversity Initiative; the Sargasso Sea Alliance, the High Seas Alliance and the Deep Ocean Stewardship Initiative. The Sargasso Sea Alliance will be awarded the SeaKeepers Prize in September 2013.