Having grown up on Long Island surrounded by water, 16-year-old Dylan D'Agate understands the extensive impact harmful algal blooms can have on a community. He decided to write Monster in the Water: Fighting Back Against Harmful Algal Blooms, in hopes of raising awareness and encouraging young people to take action in their local communities and beyond. Dylan lives in Melville, NY, with his parents and younger brother and is a junior at Half Hollow Hills High School East. In addition to his passion for science and the environment, Dylan is a foodie and tennis fanatic. He recently started an environmental blog for the Sierra Club called Earth Blogger (lisierraclub.org/earth-blogger).

Maria DeCerce is a freelance illustrator who, coming from a family of scientists, has a deep curiosity and love for science and nature. She has fond memories of beach days in her home states of FL and NJ, which she drew inspiration from to illustrate the beaches in this book. When not working in her studio (or at the beach), she is most certainly wandering the dusty trails of Southern California astride her trusty red pony, Ketchup, with her dog Lana tagging along. See more of her work at MariaDeCerce.com.