Mark Kessel Email & Phone Number

New York, Ny, Us

Brooklyn, New York, United States

My role at the New York Aquarium involves the management of water quality for exhibits, quarantine systems, holding pools, life support systems, seawater supply, and meeting Animal Welfare Act regulatory standards for marine mammals and US Fish and Wildlife Service compliance standards for sea turtles. As supervisor of the Water Quality Laboratory, I oversee a small team of water quality professionals who are responsible for the daily maintenance and operations of the laboratory and direct support of the various departments throughout the park. The WQ Lab is a part of the Aquatic Health Team, and we work closely with the Animal Hospital’s veterinarian staff to provide the best care for the Aquarium’s animal collection, and the life support systems that help maintain their wellbeing. By developing a strategic plan and a robust quality assurance program for our Water Quality Lab, we are able to produce valid and actionable data that is of use to WCS’s aquarium and zoos, as well as to other conservation and aquarium/zoo-based institutions throughout the world. In my position of leadership, I am thoroughly engaged with the larger WCS team at the Bronx Zoo and three city parks, whether by attending meetings or holding Zoom calls to discuss operational issues and/or organizational concerns. I stay actively engaged in various areas of training and certifications like OSHA 30, First Aid/AED, and industry best practices, as well as facilitating chemical safety training drills and maintaining the Laboratory Standard, and complying with Stormwater BMP, Community Right To Know, and SPDES compliance.

Hauppauge, Ny

As a drinking water analyst at Suffolk County Water Authority, my responsibilities included staying apprised of drinking water policies and regulations, mentoring and training employees and interns; assisting senior staff; troubleshooting and experimenting; analyzing, interpreting, and reporting data; managing and treating wastes; participating in state audits and proficiency tests; and playing a role in special projects that involved new treatment technologies and quality controls. Some of my earlier experiences involved field sampling, outreach, and collaborative efforts, as well as soliciting public and private participation for UCMR, DBPR, and LCR sampling and testing; educating ratepayers and officials on SCWA's operations and organizational goals; acting as liaison to contractors; and carrying out compliance sampling. Methodologies: • EPA 300.1, EPA 350.1, OIA-1677, SM-5310C, SM-5540C, standard prep for calibration of AOP Trojan UV filter, Sodium hypochlorite standardization, p.H., Alkalinity, Hardness, Conductivity, Color, Turbidity, Spread Plates, Broth Tubes, Microtox.Instrumentation: • Thermo (Dionex) 2100 ICS (Proficient) • Tekmar Phoenix 8000 TOC Analyzer / Hach QdB1200 (Proficient) • Lachat QuikChem® 8500 Series 2 Flow Injection Analysis System with Omnion 3.0 software. (Proficient) • Varian Cary 50 Bio UV-Visible Spectrophotometer. (Proficient) • Alpkem OI Analytical ER Detector. (Proficient) • SDI M500 Analyzer/Microtox (Proficient) • Perkin Elmor AA. (Familiar) • Dionex AS50 & ICS 2000. (Familiar) • Hach 2100AN Turbidimeter (Proficient) • NanoPure Deionized Water Purification System. (Proficient) • Eppendorf, Fisherbrand, Hamilton Pipettes. (Proficient at Calibrations)Software: • SQL LIMS (Laboratory Information Management System) • IDM LimsLink • Varian Cary 50 WinUV Bio software • WinWedge (for serial instrument adaption) • Microsoft Office (Excel, Word, PowerPoint)

Bohemia, Ny

Responsibilities:• Created quarterly field schedules for compliance testing of sewage and industrial effluents using composite sampling.• Supervised field technicians and trained them on their daily activities.• Updated NY/NJ client compliance information via phone interviews and gathered documents.• Collaborated with site managers to ensure proper and efficient test schedules and performance.• Traveled throughout NY and NJ, including overnight stays and driving in adverse weather conditions.• Updated directions, blueprints and photos of client sites through investigations and comprehensive research.• Designed sampling strategies and resolved problems involving technical issues and aborted tests.• Customized field schedules according to the laboratory’s needs.• Maintained, ordered and inventoried all field equipment and work trucks.• Managed a petty cash account to maintain field operations.

Brooklyn, Ny

Responsibilities: • Provided animal husbandry for acquired specimens. • Organized life history/accession records for database entry and research projects. • Supervised Volunteers & conducted educational speeches/tours.• Designed & Repaired life support systems (PVC, glass drilling...). • Arranged & Conducted airport pickups of newly acquired animals.• Transported large animals by hand, cargo net or sling. • Assisted other departments in their daily responsibilities. • Performed maintenance dives in exhibit tanks. • Certified in CPR, PADI Open Water, Certificate in AZA Philosophy and Principles.

Blountstown, Fl

Responsibilities:• Independently assessed a local fish farmer's operation & provided that farmer with a final report to be implemented in his management practices.• Calculated food conversion ratios for ongoing research project involving growth studies of Gulf of Mexico Sturgeon. • Performed necropsies, diagnosised & treated diseased fish with antibiotics, saline baths, copper sulfate and medicinal dyes. • Surveyed fish from ponds/tanks for length & weights. • Tagged Atlantic Sturgeon with radio transponders. • Fed all fish on research farm manually or by belt feeders.• Operated farm equipment, well pumps, aerators, ATVs and trucks.

Blacksburg, Va

Responsibilities:• Snorkeled for, collected and identified various species of freshwater mussels in VA & TN streams that were used in propagation and conservation research.• Assumed responsibility of a doctoral candidate's research specimens (smallmouth bass) in outdoor raceways and indoor tanks.• Surveyed endangered mussels via quadrate sampling. • Enumerated mussel glochidia for reproductive studies.• Caught small mouth bass via rod & reel, transported them back to the Aquaculture Center and used them as host species for the parasitic life cycle of mussels.

Bohemia, New York

Responsibilities:• Feeding, breeding, and shipping mysid shrimp, sheepshead minnows, fathead minnows, and Hyallela azteca. • Artificially inducing spawning conditions.• Culturing artemia nauplii for food. • Constructing and maintening tanks and life support systems.• Using light tables to enumerate specifically aged fry and juveniles for shipment.• Packing and printing shipping labels for client orders.

Masters Degree, Executive Master Of Natural Resources

Activities and Societies: Graduate Assistantship; Generated sustainability-related content for the Center for Leadership In Global.

Bachelor Of Science, Fisheries Science

Activities and Societies: Volunteer at VT Aquaculture Research Center under Mark Kidd's supervision (1996-1998). VT Aikido Club (1997)..

Associates, Applied Science, Laboratory Technology

Activities and Societies: Philosophy Club (1993-1994). Intern at Cosper Environmental Services (1994).As a student of Suffolk County.