分子生态学是利用进化生物学理论，采用分子生物学和基因组学的实验方法和技术手段、统计学和数学的分析方法，通过计算机科学的技术和算法，旁及地学、古气候学等, 研究物种和种群的遗传变异及表观遗传变异、遗传谱系, 探讨生物多样性演化、生物地理演化、物种分化、生态适应等的生态学和进化生物学机制。

研究范围包括种群演化历史、种群分化和物种形成机制、寄主选择、配偶选择、繁殖行为、生殖方式、精子竞争、扩散和建群、遗传谱系地理演化、遗传分化和局部适应、生态适应的遗传基础、气候变化的生态学和进化生物学后果、生物对环境变化的响应机制、遗传多样性评估、食性鉴定、觅食行为、濒危生物贸易的监测、个体和种群鉴定、外来入侵种溯 源及入侵机制、遗传修饰生物的生态风险评估、有害生物防控等。

Molecular ecology is a field of evolutionary biology that is concerned with applying molecular population genetics, molecular phylogenetics, and more recently genomics to traditional ecological questions (e.g., species diagnosis, conservation and assessment of biodiversity, species-area relationships, and many questions in behavioral ecology). It is virtually synonymous with the field of "Ecological Genetics" as pioneered by Theodosius Dobzhansky, E. B. Ford, Godfrey M. Hewitt and others. These fields are united in their attempt to study genetic-based questions "out in the field" as opposed to the laboratory. Molecular ecology is related to the field of Conservation genetics.