“Brian’s dedication and commitment to preserving our nation’s maritime heritage resources exemplifies the very best in the National Marine Sanctuary Program, making him an ideal candidate for this year’s award,” said Lori Arguelles, president and CEO of the National Marine Sanctuary Foundation.

The turret of the Civil War ironclad USS Monitor is lifted out of the Atlantic Ocean.

Diveley spent countless hours last summer working with the staff of Monitor National Marine Sanctuary and conservators from The Mariners’ Museum in Newport News, Va., using his technical skills to create a photo-mosaic of the interior and exterior walls of the USS Monitor by piecing together thousands of high-resolution digital images that are used to monitor the condition of the 144-year-old sunken ironclad ship. These high-quality mosaics provided sanctuary staff with a valuable education tool that is being used to support ongoing efforts to preserve this national underwater treasure.

In addition, Diveley worked to extricate fragile artifacts from the Monitor’s turret and participate in the screening of several tons of sediment retrieved during a previous excavations in order to identify and document historically significant artifact fragments.

“Although the sanctuary program conducts important research that helps preserve and protect our ocean resources both natural and cultural, it is the invaluable work done by our volunteers that enhances our overall efforts,” said Daniel J. Basta, director of the National Marine Sanctuary Program. “Brian’s work in particular directly supports our long-term preservation goals, not only for the Monitor but for maritime heritage resources across the sanctuary system.”

“The Mariners’ Museum conservation team, who works in partnership with NOAA to conserve artifacts from the Monitor, was delighted to hear of Bryan’s award,” said The Mariners’ Museum Chief Conservator, Marcie Renner. “His exceptional excavation skills and his efforts in screening of sediment provided tremendous support in our ongoing mission to conserve the iconic revolving gun turret from the Civil War ironclad.”

The Volunteer of the Year Award was presented by the National Marine Sanctuary Foundation at its annual Leadership Awards Dinner on June 5 during Capitol Hill Ocean Week in Washington, D.C. Other events during the week include a three-day forum from June 5-7 that brings together a wide range of ocean experts and stakeholders to discuss the latest ocean and coastal issues. Panel speakers include members of Congress as well as representatives from federal and state government, industry, academia and nonprofit organizations.

The National Marine Sanctuary Foundation is the private, non-profit partner to the federally managed National Marine Sanctuary Program. It was created to inspire all people to preserve, protect and promote our nationwide network of marine sanctuaries. The 14 sites within the National Marine Sanctuary System protect special places in the oceans and Great Lakes from the Florida Keys to the Hawaiian Islands and from Lake Huron to the Gulf of Mexico.

For more information about Capitol Hill Ocean Week, please visit the National Marine Sanctuary Foundation Web site at www.nmsfocean.org. For information about the National Marine Sanctuary System visit http://sanctuaries.noaa.gov.

Click here for USS Monitor research and recovery photos.