What is Limnology?

Limnology is the study of fresh water rivers and lakes. Limnology comes from the Greek prefix

Limne-

meaning lake or marsh

The study of Limnology helps us to understand our water by answering the following questions:

• How healthy are our water resources?
• What is happening to our water?
• How we can improve the water quality?

Here is a step-by-step breakdown of how a limnologist conducts a study.

First, there are several chemical tests that should be done to determine what is in the water.

• Phosphate content
• Nitrate content
• Salinity
• Turbidity
• pH
• Heavy metal testing

There are other experiments that are done to assess the state of the waterbody.

• Temperature
• Water flow
• Biodiversity count

You can do most of these tests by printing out the practical sheets on this web site, getting the right equipment, and going to your nearest river or lake. Please read the precautions before you do ANY tests.

< Guide to Limnology |
| Background Knowledge | Tests in Limnology |
| Who does it | Relevance of Limnology |
| How can I be involved | Quiz |

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This webpage is made for Thinkquest.
All materials are by the team Limnology: Facts and Fun

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