Tribute to Kristina Gjerde

The Ocean team wishes to pay tribute to Kristina Gjerde, Senior High Seas Advisor to the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) and a tireless defender of the high seas and the deep ocean, who passed away on 26 December 2025. From the very beginning of IDDRI’s engagement with ocean-related issues in 2007, Kristina was a generous guide and a trusted friend. She helped us find our place within the ocean community, offering strategic insight, encouragement, and unfailing support. Over the years, she became an essential mentor across many of our projects: always welcoming new team members, readily offering her help, and generously sharing her knowledge and experience. Kristina’s optimism, determination, and friendship will be deeply missed. She leaves behind an extraordinary legacy in ocean conservation, one that we are committed to carrying forward. We extend our heartfelt condolences to her husband Adam, her son Darius, and to the entire ocean community that had the privilege of working with her. Merci pour tout, Kristina.