Photographer Cristina Mittermeier on Dedicating Her Life to the Ocean

This week, we're bringing back our How I Became series to chat with Cristina Mittermeier—marine biologist, conservationist, photographer, and co-founder of SeaLegacy, a nonprofit dedicated to protecting the ocean. A National Geographic photographer known for her work underwater and among Indigenous communities in coastal areas, she's found a way to share her passion for our environment with the world. But it wasn't always a simple path. In fact, her first published photo was wrongly credited to her then-husband. Over the course of our chat, we talk about how a career in science led her to photography, her mission to educate us about the ocean, and how we can overcome that feeling of hopelessness amid the current climate crisis.  Follow Cristina: @mitty Follow SeaLegacy: @sealegacy Follow Meredith: @ohheytheremere Follow Lale: @lalehannah Follow Women Who Travel: @womenwhotravel