Part of the broader studies of our Ecology, Hydrobiology looks at the the health of living , water based organisms in both flowing and still water, and includes studies in Economic Biology, morphology, taxonomy,Industrial Biology and others.
For us the significant feature is that all these studies focus on the health of the aquatic creatures, which in turn rely on the health of the water itself. This study ties in closely with both sewerage management and water purification, as well as management of Rivers, Lakes water catchments etc
One significant area of modern study is Eutrophication, looking at the bioticinteractions in plankton and the factors influencing water blooms.and phosphorous levels in lakes.
Longer term studies focus on the ionic composition of river, lake and reservoir waters, which are impacted by Fertilizers, Acid Rain, and Agricultural runoff.
A central focus of studies is the ecosystems in reservoirs which remain critical to water quality. These follow on from the earlier focus which was more to do with the processes involved in sewerage treatment, and in sand filtration of drinking water.
As such the study is critical to Aquatic, Marine, Human and all other living cultures on Earth, as each is dependent in one way or another upon clean water.
Anything we can do as consumers to minimize the amount of pollutants entering waterways and oceans is critical and should form a part of our buying decisions regarding household products, and appliances used in all aspects of our daily lives.