National Geographic Live Standing at the Water’s Edge with photographer Cristina Mittermeier

Photographer and marine biologist Cristina Mittermeier grew up in the mountains of central Mexico. She never imagined that her life’s work would take her to the water’s edge and beyond. A presentation by a university recruiter sent her on a path to ocean careers and she has spent 25 years as a writer and photographer, focusing on the balance between human well-being and healthy ecosystems. She brings her passion to The Lyric with National Geographic Live to talk about her conservation work and how people and coastlines can co-exist.

Mittermeier spent the first 10-15 years as a photographer on land, focusing on indigenous people in the rainforests of the Amazon. Her goal was always to use her photography to inspire conservation groups with the images she preserved.

Mittermeier first became a biochemical engineer in marine sciences and then an advocate for the ocean and biodiversity. She is the writer and series editor of her own publishing company, Earth in Focus, and has produced 24 coffee table books on conservation issues. Her work has been published in prestigious scientific publications including Science and Nature, as well as in popular magazines like National Geographic. She is a Sony Artisan and a National Geographic Explorer Mentor, mentoring two young women starting their careers. Outdoor Magazine named her one of the world’s top 40 most influential outdoor photographers. She is a founder of the International League of Conservation Photographers.

Mittermeier met her partner, underwater photographer Paul Nicklen, in the National Geographic cafeteria, and in 2015, they co-founded SeaLegacy, with a mission to create healthy and abundant oceans for us and the planet. One billion people live on our changing coastlines and the two are is dedicated to preserving the balance between the coastlines and the humans who love them. You’ll be enthralled by the stories and images from the front lines of exploration and the efforts to save the oceans.