We are grieving the loss of Kristina Gjerde, who passed away yesterday, 26 December 2025, of cancer. She was a lawyer — graceful, thoughtful, and elegantly articulate — who championed the Ocean… | Schmidt Ocean Institute

We are grieving the loss of Kristina Gjerde, who passed away yesterday, 26 December 2025, of cancer. She was a lawyer — graceful, thoughtful, and elegantly articulate — who championed the Ocean, particularly the deep sea. Her legacy is tremendous. She was co-founder of the Deep Ocean Stewardship Initiative, the Deep Sea Conservation Coalition, and the High Seas Alliance. Along with many other colleagues around the world, she fought for the High Seas Treaty, also known as the Biodiversity Beyond National Jurisdiction, or BBNJ Agreement, which was ratified earlier this year and will come into force on 17 January 2026. Kristina served as a member of Schmidt Ocean Institute’s Advisory Board since 2020. We, along with the Ocean and all its inhabitants, thank Kristina for her tireless, fruitful work to protect the deep sea. Her legacy will live on ad infinitum, as will our cherished memories of times spent with her — she was and will continue to be an inspiration to us all. https://lnkd.in/dcHC8zR6