Mark Sekela

Senior Environmental Quality Scientist - Field Scientist

Current research and/or projects

Conducting monitoring and surveillance projects to assess status and trends in water quality, presence of current and emerging issues in the aquatic environment and the effects of activities on the aquatic ecosystem

  • Conducting surveillance projects to address the presence and effects of current and emerging issues in the aquatic ecosystem, as well as the success of management actions, largely through national programs, such as the Chemical Management Program, Clean Air Regulatory Agenda, Pesticide Science Fund and priority ecosystem initiatives (Georgia Basin Action Plan)
  • Reporting on monitoring and surveillance results through the web and peer reviewed scientific journals

Professional activities / interests

Implementing new approaches to sampling the aquatic receiving environment for trace levels of contaminants

Conducting field studies for the collection of water, sediment and biota

Provide advice on water quality in BC and YT, particularly in relation to waters of federal interest

Education and awards

B.Sc. Biology  - University of Windsor

Environmental Toxicology Diploma - Simon Fraser University

Key publications

Keith B. Tierney, Jessica L. Sampson, Peter S. Ross, Mark A. Sekela and Christopher J. Kennedy. 2008. Salmon Olfaction is Impaired by an Environmentally Realistic Pesticide Mixture . Environ. Sci. Technol., 2008, 42 (13), pp 4996–5001

Million B. Woudneh, Mark Sekela, Taina Tuominen, Melissa Gledhill. 2007.  Acidic herbicides in surface waters of Lower Fraser Valley, British Columbia, Canada.  Journal of Chromatography A, 1139 (2007) 121 – 129

Woudneh, M.B., M. Sekela, T. Tuominen and M. Gledhill. 2006. Isotope dilution high-resolution gas chromatography/high-resolution mass spectrometry method for analysis of selected acidic herbicides in surface water. Journal of Chromatography A, 1133 (2006): 293–299.

Woudneh, M.B., M. Sekela, T. Tuominen and M. Gledhill. 2006. Acidic herbicides in surface waters of Lower Fraser Valley, British Columbia, Canada. Journal of Chromatography A, 1139 (2007): 121–129.

Sylvestre, S., M. Sekela, T. Tuominen and G. Moyle. 2002. Water quality assessment of agricultural and residential run-off using the crayfish Pacifastacas leniusculus in British Columbia Canada. Freshwater Crayfish 13: 383-395.

Sekela, M., R. Brewer, G. Moyle and T. Tuominen. 1999. Occurrence of an environmental estrogen (4-nonylphenol) in sewage treatment plant effluent and the aquatic receiving environment. Water Science and Technology 39 (10-11): 217–220.

Research facility

401 Burrard Street
Vancouver, BC V6C 3S5
Canada