Sea Beneath Marine & Heritage (Sea-Beneath) offers marine and terrestrial archaeology, and WorkSafe BC certified commercial scuba diving services to the general public, land developers, construction, and engineering companies, as well as municipalities and regional districts in the Comox Valley, Oceanside, and central and southern island regions. This sounds like quite the mix, but our services dovetail more often than you would think!

Heritage Management: Did you know, all recorded and unrecorded archaeological sites in BC are protected under the British Columbia (BC) Heritage Conservation Act (HCA)? They cannot be altered without a permit issued by the Archaeology Branch (Ministry of Forests, Lands, Natural Resource Operations and Rural Development). This includes sites along the foreshore and intertidal, as well as those on land.

To support land alteration or development projects early in the preliminary design phase, Sea-Beneath offers comprehensive archaeological overview assessments to determine which areas within a project footprint that require heritage management, and which should not. This approach allows Sea-Beneath to address archaeological concerns with as minimal impact to heritage resources as possible, while maintaining the objectives of development design plans. This keeps costs down, and projects moving; and circumvents unintended damage to archaeological sites.

Marine Services: The ocean is a challenging environment and never stops. We offer a full suite of on-call services to marinas and boat owners to ensure structures and watercraft remain stable, floating, and reliable.

About Us: 

Rob Field, BA, RPCA is a Bowser resident who loves his animals, the outdoors, and carpentry; he is a long-serving, active member of Deep Bay Fire and Rescue. He is also a 30-year veteran archaeologist, having held hundreds of HCA permits to completion in all regions of the province. Rob teaches the provincially administered Resource Inventory Standards Committee (RISC) training and has worked in all industry sectors, with First Nations, the Canadian Armed Forces, municipal and provincial governments, and individual property owners, on a range of projects from tiny developments to multi-billion-dollar projects.  Rob has been diving for over 30 years and is a WorkSafe BC certified commercial scuba diver who works regularly for the aquaculture industry, fishing, and recreational boating community in the Deep Bay and greater Baynes Sound area. He is a Divemaster with thousands of logged dives; he has advanced technical diving certifications including extended range, Trimix, cave, and wreck. Rob is well familiar with the archaeology of Vancouver Island, and is dedicated to seeing a balance reached between development and heritage.

 Kim Berg, BA is a six-year resident of Bowser and loves the community. Kim is an avid gardener, and outdoorsperson. Kim is a terrestrial archaeologist and eligible HCA permit holder throughout the province. She has 17 years of experience leading small and large-scale projects in the residential and commercial land development, transportation and infrastructure, energy, utility, and oil and gas sectors. Kim’s knowledge is vast and varied. She is a skilled archaeologist, project manager, technical writer, and a hawk for recognizing the need (or not) for heritage management services. Kim is  a professional who works collaboratively with her clients and First Nations to balance project objectives while limiting impacts to heritage resources. Kim is also the past President of the BC Association of Professional Archaeologists (BCAPA). 

Kim and Rob are both members in good standing with the BCAPA, and their relationships with the Heritage ministry (Archaeology Branch) and local First Nations are excellent. As marine and terrestrial archaeologists, they can address heritage sites located on the waterfront as well as on upland settings. 

Sea-Beneath’s values and objectives are sincere: We are committed to working collaboratively to meet project objectives and timelines and are equally committed to the protection and conservation of First Nations’ cultural heritage.

We are focused on upholding these commitments with integrity, respect, transparency, and careful consideration of all stakeholder needs. We understand the big picture, strive for balanced solutions, and honour open, honest, and genuine relationships. 

Sea Beneath Marine & Heritage 

» Sea Beneath Marine & Heritage »

Rob Field, BA, RPCA  » Commercial Scuba Diver » Marine & Terrestrial Archaeologist

C: 250.580.8882 » E: rob@sea-beneath.com

Kim Berg, BA » Terrestrial Archaeologist & Project Manager

C: 250.514.4074 » E: kim@sea-beneath.com