EXHIBIT 31.1

CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER’S

CERTIFICATION UNDER

SECTION 302 OF THE SARBANES-OXLEY ACT OF 2002

I, Thomas E. Fairley, President and Chief Executive Officer, certify that:

|   | 1.     | I have reviewed this quarterly report on Form 10-Q of Trico Marine    Services, Inc.;                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                      |
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|   | 2.     | Based on my knowledge, this report does not contain any untrue        statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact necessary        to make the statements made, in light of the circumstances under which        such statements were made, not misleading with respect to the period        covered by this report;     |
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|   | 3.     | Based on my knowledge, the financial statements, and other        financial information included in this report, fairly present in all        material respects the financial condition, results of operations and        cash flows of the registrant as of, and for, the periods presented in        this report;                        |
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|   | 4.     | The registrant’s other certifying officer and I are responsible        for establishing and maintaining disclosure controls and procedures (as        defined in Exchange Act Rules 13a-15(e) and 15d-15(e)) for the        registrant and have:                                                                                      |
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|   |   | a)                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                         | Designed such disclosure controls and procedures, or caused            such disclosure controls and procedures to be designed under our            supervision, to ensure that material information relating to the            registrant, including its consolidated subsidiaries, is made known            to us by others within those entities, particularly during the            period in which this report is being prepared; |
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|   |   | b)                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                         | Evaluated the effectiveness of the registrant’s disclosure            controls and procedures and presented in this report our conclusions            about the effectiveness of the disclosure controls and procedures,            as of the end of the period covered by this report based on such            evaluation; and |
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|   |   | c)                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                         | Disclosed in this report any change in the registrant’s            internal control over financial reporting that occurred during the            registrant’s most recent fiscal quarter that has materially            affected, or is reasonably likely to materially affect, the            registrant’s internal control over financial reporting; and |
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|   | 5.     | The registrant’s other certifying officer and I have disclosed,        based on our most recent evaluation of internal control over financial        reporting, to the registrant’s auditors and the audit committee of the        registrant’s board of directors (or persons performing the equivalent        functions): |
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|   |   | a)                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                         | All significant deficiencies and material weaknesses in the            design or operation of internal control over financial reporting            which are reasonably likely to adversely affect the registrant’s            ability to record, process, summarize and report financial            information; and |
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|   |   | b)                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                         | Any fraud, whether or not material, that involves management            or other employees who have a significant role in the registrant’s            internal control over financial reporting. |

 

 

| Date: May 11, 2004 | By:    | /s/ Thomas E. Fairley                              |
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|               |   | Thomas E. Fairley                                                                                                                                                                                   |
|               |   | President and Chief Executive Officer                                                                                                                                                               |