Benthic Ecologist

A benthic ecologist works to study aquatic life that lives on the bottom surfaces of Texas’ aquatic ecosystems.

Benthic ecologist in the water holding an oyster, an image from Working and Careers in Water and Aquatic Science from the book Texas Aquatic Ecosystem Science by author Rudolph Rosen.

Photo credit: Texas Parks and Wildlife Department

There are thousands of invertebrate species in aquatic systems, from mountain top headwaters to the greatest depths of the oceans. A benthic ecologist studies the invertebrates and the communities of invertebrates that live on the bottoms of streams, lakes, rivers, estuaries, bays, and the ocean. This life is often called benthos. A benthic ecologist does research experiments, counts and measurements, look at the effects of pollution, and determine the health of invertebrate communities. Benthic ecologists usually have a master’s or doctorate degree in biology or ecology.