Kristina Gjerde is an expert on the legal aspects of marine conservation and is an advisor for the International Union for Conservation of Nature.
Maritime law is a challenging area of the law: because no single jurisdiction nor central authority exists, this legal field consists of a patchwork of international treaties and national legislation, leaving many loopholes and unclear situations.
As evidenced by the legal aftermath of the recently disabled cruise ship Carnival Triumph, which had been seized last year over safety concerns, ships and industrial installations can be registered and located in jurisdictions that maintain very different standards from what the general public may think.
While civil litigation involving passengers is an issue that benefits from the media spotlight to move the legal process along, disputes regarding the protection of natural resources and biodiversity are hard to solve, especially when settlements or binding judgment are opposed by nations.
From TED:
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.
Maritime Law [Kindle Edition]
by Anindya Banerjee
"A beginner's introduction to the principles of Maritime Law."
Unresolved Issues And New Challenges to the Law of the Sea
by Anastasia Strati (Editor), Maria Gavouneli (Editor), Nikolaos Skourtos (Editor)
"This work analyzes the management of shared fish stocks; protection of the underwater cultural heritage; the possibilities of establishing marine protected areas and other means for safeguarding vulnerable marine ecosystems; the use of the high seas for intelligence as well as recent developments on interdiction of vessels on the high seas. Special emphasis is paid to the role of international courts and tribunals in the progressive development of the law of the sea as well as the ability of the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea to accommodate new uses and challenges, such as new concerns, new technological possibilities, in particular, new contexts and functions of established rules."
The Law of the Sea in a Nutshell
by Louis B. Sohn, John E. Noyes, Kristen Gustafson Juras, and Erik Franckx
"This comprehensive guide summarizes the current principles and rules governing the international law of the sea. Topics include the rights and responsibilities of states in various zones of the oceans, fisheries and non-living resources,vessel nationality and jurisdiction over vessels, maritime terrorism and security, maritime boundary delimitation and baselines, marine environment and dispute settlement mechanisms."