Kristina Gierde Makes Law On The High Seas

Kristina Gjerde studies the law of the high seas -- the 64 percent of our ocean that isn't protected by any national law at all.

Gorgeous photos show the hidden worlds that Gjerde and other lawyers are working to protect from trawling and trash-dumping, through smart policymaking and a healthy dose of PR.

Kristina Gjerde is an expert in the law of marine conservation. She's the high-seas policy advisor for IUCN, the International Union for Conservation of Nature, where she helps communities and governments find practical solutions to protect the environment.

Her focus is on the tricky areas of the sea and seabed that exist beyond any national jurisdiction. These places belong to the world; Gjerde's work aims to help the world work together to protect them.

Gjerde's working with the Census of Marine Life and other scientific organizations to establish the Global Ocean Biodiversity Initiative, an effort to identify areas of special ecological or biological importance in the high seas and seabed. She's using her legal and scientific expertise to seek protection for these special areas as part of a global network of marine protected areas.

Susan notes: Thanks to TED for making TED Talks downloadable and embeddable, and for providing the biographical information that goes along with them.