Ecologists study the interactions between organisms and their environment, including:

* How different species interact with each other (e.g., predator-prey relationships, competition for resources)

* How organisms are influenced by their physical surroundings (e.g., temperature, rainfall, soil type)

* How human activities impact ecosystems (e.g., pollution, deforestation, climate change)

Ecologists can specialize in different areas of study, such as:

* Population ecology: studying how populations of organisms change over time

* Community ecology: studying the interactions between different species in a community

* Ecosystem ecology: studying the flow of energy and matter through ecosystems

* Conservation ecology: studying how to protect and restore ecosystems

* Restoration ecology: studying how to restore damaged ecosystems

So, while the general term is ecologist, there are many different types of ecologists focusing on specific areas of study within the broader field of ecology.