limnology

noun

Etymology: From limno- + -logy.

1. The science concerning the biological, physical and geological properties of fresh water bodies, especially lakes and ponds.

   “Although limnology is a young discipline, it has, over the past century, experienced marked growth. Its early descriptive period was a long one, given the enormous diversity of biota and environments in freshwater ecosystems.”

   “The exercises in this book were set forth initially because of our frustrations in teaching such a complex, multifaceted discipline as limnology.”