ecologist

[ ih-kol-uh-jist, ee-kol- ]

noun

1. a scientist or researcher whose field of study involves the relationships and interactions between organisms and their environment:

   Ecosystem ecologists study how nutrients, energy, and water flow through an ecosystem.

2. an environmentalist:

   Like climate change activists and ecologists around the world, I feel passionately that the issue is crucial to the long-term well-being of the human race.

Word History and Origins

Origin of ecologist¹

ecolog(y) ( def ) + -ist ( def )

Example Sentences

The 100 survey respondents spanned a range of specialties, including behavioral ecologists, evolutionary biologists, neuroscientists, biological anthropologists, cognitive psychologists and biological psychologists.

From Science Daily

"The judgment brings into focus a flawed understanding of the interplay between climate change, biodiversity and development issues," ecologist Debadityo Sinha wrote in a column.

From BBC

The headlines tolling doom have cast a shadow over the work of millions of dedicated mathematicians, entrepreneurs, engineers, artists, ecologists and community advocates and repelled onlookers, creating a profound missed opportunity to reshape philanthropy.

From Salon

These tiny dark-yellowish mollusks, native to rivers in China and Southeast Asia, have already wreaked havoc in South America, and for years have kept officials and ecologists across the United States on high alert.

From Los Angeles Times

As behavioral ecologists, we are interested in how adverse experiences early in life can affect animals’ behavior, including the kinds of decisions they make and the way they interact with the world around them.

From Salon

Related Words

• biologist
• botanist
• conservationist
• environmentalist
• zoologist