Born and raised in São Paulo, Brazil, Michael is an award-winning photographer, author and drone pilot specializing in marine wildlife and environmental issues. He lives in Palm Beach Gardens, FL, and for the last 33 years has traveled extensively worldwide photographing diverse aquatic animals, habitats and man's impact on them. He has written and photographed nine non-fiction marine life books designed to encourage school children to read, write and become involved in science and conservation. When not making photographs or writing, he is on the lecture circuit promoting a greater appreciation for the natural world, especially the oceans and their inhabitants. He has presented to over 500,000 kids in more than 600 schools in the US in the last 23 years. His images have appeared in hundreds of publications worldwide including BBC Wildlife, National Geographic Magazine, and The New York Times, among many others, and have won the most prestigious competitions, including World Press Photo, Wildlife Photographer of the Year and Pictures of the Year (POYi).