Lake Nyasa (Lake Malawi) Report

Lake Nyasa (Or if you’re Malawian, Lake Malawi) : 

Lake Nyasa (Or if you’re Malawian, Lake Malawi) By Sarah Cox Picture From: http://travel.webshots.com/photo/1276384374065640239bCeryw

Location,Location, Location : 

Location,Location, Location Bordered by Malawi, Tanzania, and Mozambique; Runs along the African Rift Valley Fed by 14 rivers, mainly the Ruhuhu River From :http://lake-malawi.com/

Size : 

Size The 3rd largest of the African Rift Valley Lakes; 9th largest lake in the world 363 miles in length from North to South 10-15 miles wide 11,430 square miles in area 1550 feet above sea level Depth up to 2310 feet

Weather : 

Weather Southeast winds cause short gales and restless waters from May to August There is little protection from the coastline, especially during these months Picture from: http://www.abouttanzania.com/places.html

Accidents : 

Accidents There are very few accidents on Lake Nyasa The last one (of my knowledge) was in 2000 when a boat was carrying too many passengers to the MV Illala. 17 peopled died because the passengers panicked when waves pushed water into the lifeboat However, 16 people survived the incident This was considered the worst accident on Lake Malawi in 50 years

Colonization : 

Colonization Lake Nyasa’s existence first reported by a Portuguese, Caspar Boccaro in 1616 It was visited by the famous explorer and missionary David Livingstone Halfway up the lake is Likoma Island which was mission headquarters and site of an Anglican cathedral

Name Problems : 

Name Problems Though to many countries this lake is known as Nyasa, in Malawi it is named after that country. Some of them believe the lake is wholly theirs though Tanzania does have a claim to the eastern-most part. These disputes began before 1964 when Malawi declared independence. In 2003, Malawi banned Tanzania from fishing in the lake but I have not been able to find any information nearer the present on this problem.

Fish : 

Fish a “world treasure” of biodiversity with over 1,000 species of fish living there and many of these species live in no other locations. Fish make up 75% of the protein of the Malawians Cichlids are the most commercially fished fish in the lake and this lake is famous for them Many of the fish are beautifly colored

Preserving the Lake : 

Preserving the Lake Currently, Lake Nyasa is is pristine condition However, with deforestation in Malawi, the lake may be badly affected Lake Victoria once had great biodiversity similar to Nyasa’s but it was reduced by the addition of non-native species and eutrophication, which decreased the oxygen levels in the lake

Lake Nyasa Now : 

Lake Nyasa Now Picture From: http://www.aardvarksafaris.co.uk/malawi.htm

Lake Victoria Now : 

Lake Victoria Now Picture From: http://ww2.unhabitat.org/programmes/ump/lk.asp During Lake Victoria Clean Up Week

Preserving the Lake Cont. : 

Preserving the Lake Cont. To clarify, eutrophication is the build up of nutrients that increases algae growth, which reduces oxygen levels Many studies are being conducted on the lake, that will help prevent future problems

Bibliography : 

Bibliography Safra, Jacob E. "Lake Nyasa". The New Encyclopedia Brittanica: Volume 8. Chicago: Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc, 1768. Konga, Aristariko . "LakeNet-News". LakeNet: Protecting and Restoring the Health of Lakes Throughout the World. February 9, 2009 <http://www.worldlakes.org/shownews.asp?newsid=1345>. University of Waterloo. “Biodivesity Studies in Lake Malawi”. University of Waterloo. February 9, 2009. http://newsrelease.uwaterloo.ca/news.php?id=980 Unknown Author. "NationMaster-Encyclopedia: Lake Malawi". NationMaster.com. February 10, 2009 <http://www.nationmaster.com/encyclopedia/Lake-Malawi>. Tenthani, Raphael . "Lake Malawi capsize kills 17". BBC News. February 10, 2009 <http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/984722.stm>.