Freshwater environments support diverse communities of plants and animals that are controlled by both biotic and abiotic factors. Organisms respond to changes in the habitat through detectable shifts in population abundances and the loss/gain of species. Monitoring such biological changes in freshwater communities is an established protocol for assessing the condition of rivers, lakes and ponds subject to human influence. This course will have a large practical component in which students will have the opportunity to learn the skills necessary to evaluate the condition of aquatic environments variously affected by urbanization.