INTRODUCTION Freshwater ecology is a specialized sub category of the overall study of organisms and the environment. Unlike biology, ecology refers to the study of not just organisms but how they react, and are affected by the natural surrounding environment or ecosystem. By studying the plants and animals in a body of water as well as the components of the water itself, a scientist specializing in freshwater ecology can discover vital information about the health and needs of a freshwater system. Freshwater Ecology is a study of the interrelationships between freshwater organisms and their natural and cultural environments.