1. Limnologist Agricultural Careers
By: Dr. Frank Flanders and Ms. Anna Burgess
GA Agricultural Education Curriculum Office
Georgia Department of Education
June 2005

2. Job Duties & Responsibilities
Solving inland aquatic issues
Maintaining biodiversity in freshwater ecosystems
Maintaining and/or restoring water quality
Researching necessary freshwater ecology and water quality issues

3. Qualities and Skills
Limnologists should love working with and be comfortable around aquatic animals. They should enjoy water and outdoor activities.
Excellent communication skills, both oral and written, are critical in sharing research information and securing grant money for continued research.
Limnologists should be able to work individually as well as on a team. They should be very organized and have well developed analytical skills.

4. Salary
There is a large variance of salaries within this field, as with many scientific fields. Salary often depends on the level of education and experience.
Those professionals who are starting out in the field with a bachelor’s degree can expect to earn anywhere from about $17,000 to $27,000 a year. This figure increases steadily with more education.
Those with a Master’s degree earn up to $40,000 annually, and professionals with PhDs can earn anywhere from $40,000 to $100,000, depending mostly on experience.

5. Work Environment
Rivers, lakes, streams, ponds, wetlands, swamps, reservoirs, and other freshwater environments
Laboratories
Offices
Works outside in all weather conditions

6. Education
Most work in the field of limnology requires a minimum of a bachelor’s degree. This degree should be in a scientific field relating to water, such as biology, chemistry, or environmental health science. However, a bachelor’s degree will only qualify a person for positions as technicians or assistants.
Individuals wishing to advance further in the field should consider a higher degree. This will also allow students to specialize specifically in limnology.

7. Career Resources American Society of Limnology and Oceanography
Internet:
American Institute of Biological Sciences
Internet:
Institute of Limnology
Internet:
Center for Aquatic Ecology and Conservation
Internet:
Cooperative Research Centre for Freshwater Ecology
Internet:
Center for Limnology Library
Internet: