Dave Ball is a marine archaeologist with over 30 years’ experience in marine archaeology and underwater cultural heritage (UCH). He received a master’s degree in Anthropology from Florida State University and worked as a consulting archaeologist in the Pacific Northwest before joining the U.S. Department of the Interior’s Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) and its predecessors. Dave has extensive experience in UCH identification and preservation related to offshore energy and mineral activities. He has directed field research on both terrestrial and underwater archaeological sites across the U.S., including inundated pre-contact sites and deepwater shipwrecks. Before retiring from BOEM in 2025, Dave was instrumental in leading efforts to develop agency best practices for consultation and engagement with west coast Tribes and Pacific Islander communities. In addition to membership in ICUCH, Dave is an Emeritus Member of the Advisory Council on Underwater Archaeology and a certified Tribal Relations Specialist.