Michael M. Mincarone holds a Bachelor's degree in Oceanography from the Vale do Itajaí University (1997) and a PhD in Zoology from the Pontifical Catholic University of Rio Grande do Sul (2007), developing part of his doctorate at the National Museum of Natural History (Washington, DC) and the California Academy of Sciences (San Francisco, CA). He is currently Associate Professor at the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro, Institute of Biodiversity and Sustainability.