Maria began diving in the Northeast in the 1950s. She was one of the first women NAUI instructors and later became a NAUI instructor trainer. An active PADI instructor as well, Maria still certifies over 100 divers per year. She's trained Green Berets, New York City Fire Department Rescue Teams, and FBI Underwater Evidence Teams. As a photojournalist, Maria has contributed her photographs and writings to leading travel and dive magazines. Her book Great Dive Destinations of the World is a result of images captured on her photo-adventure tours around the world, travel experiences that played their role in opening up tourism to remote sectors of the world.. In 2012 Beneath the Sea recognized Maria as their Diver of the Year in Education Today, forty plus professional years later Maria continues to teach and promote ocean conservation, environmentalism, and scuba diving. When not in New York she may be found somewhere in the world lecturing, leading a dive trip, or photographing.