TOPIC AND SPEAKER:

Capt. Bert Marsh, USN (ret.), will describe the revocery of the 850-ton Japanese fishing ship EHIME MARU sank in 2000 feet of water off the coast of Hawaii.  The EHIME MARU was but one of many naval salvage operations Marsh had directed in his 30-year career with the US Navy.  Marsh was named in 1999 as director of ocean engineering and supervisor of salvage and diving for Naval Sea Systems Command (NAVSEA).  For the next several years, Marsh led many high profile salvage operations including the crash of John F. Kennedy Jr.'s plane off Massachusetts, the crash of Egypt Air Flight 990 off Massachusetts, and the repair of destroyer USS Cole.  Additionally Marsh was involved in incidents such as the Exxon Valdez spill, Alaska Air Flight 261 crash, guided missile cruiser USS Princeton damage, and other military and civilian vessels.

Capt. Marsh has worked on all types of ships and nuclear submarines, launched the DSRVs AVALON and MYSTIC, and made dives world wide.  For his innovation, leadership, and technical excellence, Marsh was awarded the prestigious Gold Medal by the American Society of Naval Engineers in 2002.  Marsh was a graduate in Zoology from Oregon State University.  Having retired from the Navy in 2005, Marsh now works for an engineering services company in San Diego called AMSEC as a senior manager in business development.