He is currently a Distinguished Professor, the Jon and Beverly Thompson Endowed Research Chair of Geological Sciences at the University of Florida, and Editor-in-chief of the journal Marine Chemistry.

Bianchi was born in 1956 in Richmond Hill, New York, and moved to Holbrook in eastern Long Island where he stayed through his early college years.

As a child, he was very interested in basketball, largely influenced by his uncle, Al Bianchi, who was a professional basketball player.

Bianchi has played drums through much of his life, and became interested in oceanography very early on.

They have a son, Christopher T. Bianchi (video artist).