Lake Victoria

Lake Victoria Latest News

An international team of researchers from North America and Kenya has completed a genetic survey of cyanobacteria in the Winam Gulf of Lake Victoria, Kenya. 

Lake Victoria Overview

• It is the world’s second-largest freshwater lake located in East Africa.
• Bordering countries: It is bordered by Tanzania, Uganda, and Kenya.
• It is also called Victoria Nyanza in Kenya, Nalubaale in Uganda, and Ukerewe in Tanzania.
• It is a source of the White Nile River which flows northward and eventually joins the Blue Nile in Sudan to form the Nile River.
• The lake supports the largest freshwater fishery in the world, producing 1 million tons of fish per year and employing 200,000 people in supporting the livelihoods of 4 million people.

Key Highlights of the Study

• Cyanobacterial harmful algal blooms (cyanoHAB) events in the Winam Gulf were not restricted to coastal zones but occurred extensively across the gulf.
• Metagenomic analysis showed that bloom-forming cyanobacteria employ diverse survival strategies to adapt to different environmental conditions around the gulf.
• These include extensive use of biosynthetic gene clusters (BGC), which enable the bacteria to thrive in varying conditions.

What is Cyanobacteria?

• Cyanobacteria, formerly known as blue-green algae, are photosynthetic microscopic organisms that are technically bacteria.
• They were originally called blue-green algae because dense growths often turn the water green, blue-green or brownish-green.
• Habitat: These algae are found in all lakes and are a natural part of the lake ecosystem.
• High nutrient concentrations can promote a population explosion of these organisms and result in algal blooms, especially during warm weather.

Lake Victoria FAQs

Q1: In which country is Lake Victoria?

Ans: It is lying mainly in Tanzania and Uganda but bordering on Kenya.

Q2: Why is Lake Victoria so famous?

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Ans: It supports the largest freshwater fishery in the world, producing 1 million tons of fish per year and employing 200,000 people in supporting the livelihoods of 4 million people.

Q3: What is the real name of Lake Victoria?

Ans: Victoria Nyanza

Q4: Who discovered Lake Victoria?

Ans: John Hanning Speke

Q5: What is the largest city on Lake Victoria?

Ans: Kampala, Uganda

Source: DTE