Ecologist
What the work is
Studies the relationships between living organisms and the environment around them, and develops plans for the restoration, preservation and enhancement of biodiversity.
Would you enjoy the work?
These are the main tasks in the official description. Mark how each one sounds to you.
- Studies interactions such as competition, cooperation and predation between species
- Investigates local and global ecosystems, including how species respond to environmental challenges and climate change
- Develops, plans and conducts field research and ecological monitoring surveys
- Utilises remote sensing and modelling to track ecosystems and predict the impact of biodiversity shifts in natural systems
- Researches how changes in habitat connectivity and patterns of natural and human disturbance impact species and biodiversity over time
- Provides advice on ecological restoration practices to repair ecosystems that have been degraded or damaged through natural processes or activities such as agriculture, construction, forestry and mining
- Plans, conducts and monitors reintroductions of locally extinct species
Try it
A simulation and a case study from this kind of work, set in a coastal national park with walking tracks, campgrounds, bushland and a wetland. They are fictional.
The kind of days you could have
Good days
- A threatened bird nests successfully in a spot you helped protect
- A group of school children learn something about the bush and ask for more
- You walk a track you rebuilt and watch families using it without a second thought
Hard days
- A holiday weekend brings crowds and a few people who ignore every sign
- Wet weather washes away a track you spent weeks repairing
- A long, hot day pulling weeds that will grow back again unless you keep coming
Written by Career Calling as a general guide. Real roles vary by employer and place.
Work a mission
Step into a simulated workplace in this field, with a brief from your manager.
Description and tasks: Australian Bureau of Statistics, Occupation Standard Classification for Australia, 2024, Version 1.0 (opens another site), occupation 244333, used under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 licence. The skill guide above is our plain English summary.