BIOGRAPHY - ROBERT MICHELSON
Robert Michelson of Braintree, Massachusetts has been a professional photographer/videographer and owner of Photography By Michelson, Inc. since 1974.
In addition to his photographic background, Bob became a certified SCUBA diver in 1979. He acquired his Divemaster rating in 1982, followed by The Professional Association of Diving Instructors (PADI) Specialty Instructor ratings in Underwater Photography in 1983, Underwater Video in 1995 and Underwater Naturalist in 2007. In 1999 he became certified as a NOAA Science Diver.
He co-founded, was dive supervisor and surface and underwater photographer/videographer for Quincy, Massachusetts Environmental Inspection Unit, the first unit ever formed in New England to monitor pollution and its effects on Boston Harbor and surrounding waters from 1984 through 1989. Documented evidence gathered by Bob on behalf of the City of Quincy, helped force the now federally mandated clean-up of Boston Harbor.
His photography and articles have appeared in: In-Fisherman, Salt Water Sportsman, Chesapeake Bay, The Island Journal, Aquaculture, Arkansas Wildlife, Massachusetts Wildlife, Rescue, Nor'Easter, Offshore, Alert Diver, Rodales Scuba Diving and Scuba Times magazines, as well as The Gulf Of Maine Times and many local newspapers.
In 2001, Michelson won 1st place honors in The New England Outdoor Writers Association photography contest in the "Transparency-Fauna" division.
His work regularly appears in the New England Aquarium in Boston, and has been featured on the NOVA documentary "Are You Swimming In A Sewer?", on ABC World News Tonight with Peter Jennings and on Boston's ABC, CBS and NBC affiliates, as well as on the WB Channel 56 Ten O'Clock News in Boston.
He was also a regular science contributor to "The Patriot Ledger", a large regional daily newspaper in Massachusetts from 1992 through 1994.
Michelson was the senior New England environmental news correspondent for "Underwater USA", a national monthly newspaper for SCUBA divers from 1988 through 1992.
He has authored and published "An Introduction To Underwater Photography in New England", the only handbook available on cold/turbid water Underwater Photography technique.
Bob was the Founder, Co-host, Executive Producer and underwater videographer for the nationally syndicated cable television program "Divers Down", a half-hour series about cold water sport SCUBA diving from 1986 through 1989.
Bob produced a documentary entitled "Clean Waters, New Harbor-The Boston Harbor Clean-up Project". This production won first place in the New England Cable Television Association awards held in 1990.
Michelson produced a half hour documentary entitled "Return From The Sea ...The Restoration of Atlantic Salmon In New England". This program was broadcast on PBS stations throughout the Northeastern United States and the Canadian Maritimes in the Fall of 1991.
"Return From The Sea" was broadcast nationwide on The Discovery Channel, as part of its educational series "Assignment Discovery" during the Spring of 1993.
"Return From The Sea" won first place honors in the 1991 Massachusetts Community Television Contest in the Documentary/Media Professional category. The program was a Blue Ribbon finalist in the International Television & Video Association's 1991 awards, and was nominated for the 1992 National Academy of Cable Programming's "Award in Cable Excellence" (ACE Award) in the Documentary Current Events/Issues category.
The "ACE" Award is cable televisions highest award for programming.
Michelson was also nominated for the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences 1992 New England "Emmy" award, in the category "Outstanding Individual Achievement/Videography Non-News" for his underwater videography produced for "Return from the Sea".
He produced a half hour documentary entitled "Return From The Sea...The Restoration of American Shad To The Atlantic Coast". This program made its broadcast debut on WGBH-TV Boston in October of 1994 and has been distributed to other PBS stations along the Atlantic Coast.
Bob produced a short format video entitled "Our Coastal Resources: American Shad In Massachusetts". This production won first place in the 1995 New England Cable Television Association's Public service Awards in the "Education" category.
Michelson won "Best Science or Nature program by a Media Professional" for his production "Our Coastal Resources: Rainbow Smelt In Massachusetts" in the 1996 Massachusetts Community Television Contest.
He produced "Return From The Sea...The Restoration of Striped Bass To The Atlantic Coast". This is the third in a series of half hour documentaries on the restoration of various species of anadromous fish. This program made its broadcast debut on WLIW-TV, New York on December, 1996 and on WGBH-TV, Boston beginning in April, 1997 and is also being distributed to other East Coast PBS stations.
In 1996, he produced "Gathering Waters: The Great Bay Watershed and You". A half hour documentary which deals with the issue of Non-Point Source Pollution and its impacts on this sensitive watershed in coastal New Hampshire. "Gathering Waters" made its broadcast debut on WGBH-TV, Boston during April, 1997.
His underwater footage and edited programs of Anadromous fish species are now on permanent display at the Smithsonian Institution's National Zoological Park as part of The Amazonia Science Center's Earth Situation Room.
He provided New England underwater reference material for Steven Spielberg's company "Dreamworks Productions" for use in the feature film "In-Dreams". The film was released nationwide during the winter of 1999.
Bob has also provided reference footage for the Disney TV series "Gideon's Crossing".
In 2002, he produced footage for "Game Warden Wildlife Journal" and "Ripley's Beleive It Or Not". Both nationally broadcast television series.
During 2003, Bob produced Humpback Whale behavior and aerial footage for the History Channel Production "Deep Sea Detectives: SS Portland". New Hampshire Public Television used underwater stock material on several episodes of the series "NH Wildlife Journal"
During 2006, Michelson's whale behavior footage was used by Jean-Michel Cousteau's Ocean Adventures television series "American Adventures". This program was aired nationwide on PBS television station affiliates.
Bob is a regular contributor to The Divers Alert Network Magazine "Alert Diver". This national publication is the second largest SCUBA diving magazine in the United States. He provides feature science, environmental news, and marine animal life history articles illustrated with his photography.
Michelson worked with the Quincy, MA Public School system from 2000-2002 to "Develop and Implement Local Marine Curriculum for Quincy Public Schools". This 2-year MIT Sea Grant funded program will become a model for Statewide use in educating students about their local marine environment.
He formed the Stellwagen Bank National Marine Sanctuary Dive Team in 1999. and worked with NOAA on variuos projects including writing the curriculum and coordinating the Northeast REEF Fish Identification/Great Annual Fish Count (GAFC) and Northeast Invertebrate/Invasive Specie diver education programs thru 2006.
In 2007, Michelson will continue coordinating the Northeast Great Annual Fish Count event with The New England Aquarium Dive Club in Boston, MA. This annual SCUBA diving event holds the designation of being the largest single day GAFC event in North America for the past five years, with 100 divers participating each year.
In 2001, the National Oceanic and Atmospeheric Administration (NOAA) presented Bob with an Environmental Hero Award. He was honored for life-long efforts in educating the public about the diversity of marine life found off the coast of New England.
He offers PADI sanctioned Underwater Photography, Underwater Videography and Underwater Naturalist courses through Massachusetts dive training centers and travels the Northeast providing seminars and workshops on Undersea Life and Wildlife to School groups and organizations.