Matthew Puleo was born in McDonough, Georgia in 2004. Matthew grew up in Tampa, Florida where he developed a passion for the ocean. During family trips to Vero Beach and the Florida Keys, he learned about the 1622, 1715, and 1733 Spanish fleet shipwrecks off of Florida. Matthew was introduced to members of the historic shipwreck salvage community at a young age. Learning about these historic shipwrecks, especially the 1715 fleet, and the stories of the men and women who have salvaged these shipwrecks really sparked an interest in marine exploration for Matthew. At 14 years old Matthew earned his open water scuba diver certification. In the years since Matthew has progressed his education in diving to earn a rating of Master Diver with Scuba Schools International. He currently works as a Scuba Tank Specialist at Gulf Coast Divers in Tampa, Florida and is majoring in Health Sciences at the University of South Florida.
In 2023 Matthew was offered the position of being the assistant to Jim Wilson, the Regional Director of the 1715 Fleet Society for the Treasure Coast Region of Florida. Matthew promptly took up this offer and has greatly enjoyed being involved with the 1715 Fleet Society. In addition to having a deep fascination with everything related to the 1715 Fleet, Matthew has a special interest in researching the various types and styles of rings recovered from the 1715 Fleet shipwrecks. Matthew also hopes that this unique position within the 1715 Fleet Society will allow him to raise greater public awareness about the rich legacy of the 1715 Fleet.