Cristina Mittermeier
Cristina Mittermeier is a pioneering marine biologist and co-founder of SeaLegacy, using award-winning photography and storytelling to spark global action for ocean conservation, policy change, and a sustainable planet.
Visual Activist
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Ocean Storyteller
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Earth Advocate
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Visual Activist • Ocean Storyteller • Earth Advocate •
More about Cristina
Cristina Goettsch Mittermeier, "Mitty," was born in Mexico City in 1966 and grew up in nearby Cuernavaca, in the sunny state of Morelos. Hailed as one of the most influential conservation photographers of our time, she has dedicated her life to protecting the World's oceans, inspiring millions of people to do the same.
In 2005 Mitty founded the International League of Conservation Photographers (ILCP) to provide a platform for photographers working on environmental issues and coined the phrase "conservation photography.”
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In 2014, together with her partner in life and art, photographer Paul Nicklen, she co-founded SeaLegacy, a non-profit organization using strategic communications at the intersection of art, science, and conservation to protect and rewild the ocean for the benefit of biodiversity, humanity, and climate within our lifetimes. In 2018, along with Paul, she was named a National Geographic Adventurer of the Year. In 2021, she received the Seattle Aquarium's Sylvia Earle Medal and Travel + Leisure's Global Vision Award, and was also named one of the 100 Latinos Most Committed to Climate Action.
A Sony Artisan of Imagery, a collaborator in Rolex’s Perpetual Planet initiative, and a recipient of the Smithsonian Conservation Photographer of the Year Award, Mitty’s work has been published in National Geographic, TIME, CNN, Maclean's, Men's Journal, and O. Additionally, she is a World Photographic Academy member and the first female photographer to reach 1M followers on Instagram. Her stunning new photography book HOPE, an artistic manifesto weaving her personal story with a visual journey spanning 130 countries, was published fall 2024.
Speaking Topics
Resilience
Managing Change
Navigating the Future
Conservation
Science
Exploration
Nature
Culture
Watch Cristina in action
Presentations
Hope at the Edge of Two Worlds
With passion, conviction, and a zest for life, Cristina “Mitty” Mittermeier has dedicated her career to safeguarding the ocean and inspiring millions to do the same. Set sail with Mitty as she shares insights from a career documenting the far reaches of our planet.
“I realized that there are not a lot of photographers documenting that place where nature and people live in very close quarters in harmony. That's how I found the vein of my work.”
– Cristina Mittermeier