Elka 

Maria 

Torpey

Elka Maria Torpey 

is an economist in 

the Office of Occupational Statistics 

and Employment 

Projections, BLS. 

She is available at

(202) 691–5719 

and torpey.elka@

bls.gov.

Growing up in northern Illinois, Carla 

Cáceres spent a lot of time on Lake 

Michigan. “I was fascinated by the 

lake,” she says. “I love the water.”

Carla turned her love of water into a 

career in limnology. Limnologists are scientists who study the characteristics of freshwater systems such as lakes, rivers, streams, 

ponds, and wetlands. They also study nonoceanic saltwater, such as the Great Salt Lake.

The job title limnologist applies to workers in many occupations who are trained 

in different scientific fields. As Carla says, 

“Limnology is really broad, so within limnology we often specialize.” For example, 

limnologists might study the plants or animals 

that live in a body of water, the chemical 

properties of the water, or the physics of water 

movement. 

A limnologist’s area of specialization 

usually determines his or her specific occupational title. Environmental scientists, ecologists, fisheries biologists, natural resources 

specialists, and biogeochemists—all can be 

limnologists. What they share is a common 

focus on inland water systems. And when they 

work together on projects, each contributes 

his or her specialized knowledge. 

Carla is an ecologist who studies several 

species of zooplankton in lakes and ponds in 

Michigan and Illinois. She works with scientists from the Illinois Natural History Survey, 

a research organization that monitors lake 

conditions. Limnologists’ goals often relate to 

maintaining natural ecosystems or to understanding the potential impact of an activity, 

such as building houses in a wetland area. 

“It’s easier to manage a system if you understand it,” says Carla. 

One objective of her research is to 

determine why the fish population in the 

Great Lakes is declining. “We look at what’s 

going on in the food web that’s affecting 

the fish population,” she says. Because she 

understands the life-forms in the water and 

their relationships with each other, she can 

help to determine which organisms, if any, are 

causing the decrease in fish.

Limnologists work both in the field and in 

the laboratory. In the field, limnologists spend 

time outside—on a rowboat, for example, or 

wading or diving in the body of water that 

they’re studying. Most enjoy this hands-on 

work, but there is also plenty to do indoors.

In the lab, limnologists conduct 

experiments, make and test hypotheses, and 

compare their results with those of previous studies. They might develop techniques 

or instruments that will help them test their 

assumptions. And they use computers to analyze the data that they get from their experiments and to make predictions by means of 

statistical models.

Carla occasionally goes to lakes and 

ponds to take measurements and collect water 

samples. She then brings the samples back 

to the lab, where she looks at them under 

a microscope. She also puts the samples in 

beakers and makes changes to the water—for 

example, giving an invasive species of zooplankton different things to eat—to see how 

the species reacts and how the overall conditions are affected.

“You can’t always introduce something 

into a whole body of water, and you can’t kill 

off an entire species,” says Carla. Instead, 

limnologists test some of their predictions by 

doing computer simulations. For example, 

Limnologist

You’re a what?

34 Occupational Outlook Quarterly • Winter 2008–09
Carla might use computer models to determine whether 

a change in the water will lead to a corresponding 

change in the fish population. 

Limnologists also write reports, scientific papers, 

and research proposals; keep current on developments in 

their field; and present their findings to others. In addition, limnologists often must apply for grants to fund 

their projects.

Many limnologists teach in colleges and universities. In addition to working with scientists at the research 

organization, Carla is an associate professor who instructs students in limnology, environmental biology, and 

ecology. Along with writing lesson plans, teaching, and 

grading students’ work, limnology professors plan and 

conduct laboratory experiments with their students. 

Limnologists must sometimes perform their job duties near the water systems that they study. As a result, 

they may need to live near a body of water or travel 

frequently—or both. 

Limnologists work for Federal and State governments, academic institutions, and in the private sector, 

such as for an environmental consulting firm. In the Federal Government, a limnologist might work for the U.S. 

Geological Survey, Environmental Protection Agency, 

Fish and Wildlife Service, National Park Service, Bureau 

of Land Management, or Army Corps of Engineers. In 

both government and the private sector, the job title limnologist is used less often than occupational titles—such 

as hydrologist or chemist—that match the worker’s area 

of specialization. 

No matter where they are employed, these water 

workers are usually analytical and like solving problems. 

Communication skills are important for writing and 

presenting research, and classes in statistics or computer 

programming are helpful in analyzing test results. 

In high school, students can start to prepare for a 

limnology career by getting a well-rounded education, 

especially in the sciences, English, and mathematics. 

“Keep taking math,” Carla advises, “because it is not 

until later that it becomes clear how you’ll use it and 

how important it is.”

Most limnologists have at least a bachelor’s degree, 

usually in a core science, such as biology or chemistry. 

The major chosen generally determines the type of work 

a limnologist will do, as well as his or her occupational 

title. Some limnologists have a master’s degree or a 

Ph.D. A Ph.D. is required for most teaching positions at 

colleges and universities.

Volunteering in aquatic science can give students 

helpful exposure to the work. Laboratory experience, 

such as helping a professor with a research project or 

participating in a summer research program, can increase 

students’ knowledge of the subject.

Competition for limnology jobs can be tight because of the occupation’s popularity and dependence on 

funding. Those who have knowledge in a broad range 

of scientific disciplines might be able to adapt better to 

changing job market conditions. 

The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) does not 

collect wage data specifically on limnologists but does 

collect wage data on many occupations in which limnologists can work. For example, BLS data show that in 

May 2007, hydrologists earned a median annual wage 

of $68,140, zoologists and wildlife biologists earned a 

median wage of $55,100, and chemists earned a median wage of $63,490. Postsecondary biological science 

teachers—the occupational title for college biology 

professors—earned a median annual wage of $71,780. A 

median wage means that half of all workers in the occupation made more than that amount and half made less. 

But for many limnologists, the work’s value is 

greater than a paycheck. “We’re not in it for the money,” 

Carla says. “A lot of people are in it for the same reason 

I am: because we love the water. I’m doing exactly what 

I want to do. I feel really fortunate that I get up in the 

morning and love going to work.”

Winter 2008–09 • Occupational Outlook Quarterly 35