@article{5c01e8e5462545bcaf0fe9a32c95d234,
title = "Climate change decreases aquatic ecosystem productivity of Lake Tanganyika, Africa",
abstract = "Although the effects of climate warming on the chemical and physical properties of lakes have been documented, biotic and ecosystem-scale responses to climate change have been only estimated or predicted by manipulations and models. Here we present evidence that climate warming is diminishing productivity in Lake Tanganyika, East Africa. This lake has historically supported a highly productive pelagic fishery that currently provides 25-40% of the animal protein supply for the populations of the surrounding countries. In parallel with regional warming patterns since the beginning of the twentieth century, a rise in surface-water temperature has increased the stability of the water column. A regional decrease in wind velocity has contributed to reduced mixing, decreasing deep-water nutrient upwelling and entrainment into surface waters. Carbon isotope records in sediment cores suggest that primary productivity may have decreased by about 20%, implying a roughly 30% decrease in fish yields. Our study provides evidence that the impact of regional effects of global climate change on aquatic ecosystem functions and services can be larger than that of local anthropogenic activity or overfishing.",
author = "O'Reilly, {Catherine M.} and Alin, {Simone R.} and Piisnier, {Pierre Denis} and Cohen, {Andrew S.} and McKee, {Brent A.}",
note = "Funding Information: Acknowledgements We thank the officers, crew and shipboard scientific party of RV Poseidon for their support at sea during the expedition POS 260/1-5, and M. Poser, W. Queisser, S. Meyer and V. Meyer for technical assistance with the lander systems. We also thank F. Lipschultz and U. Struck for help with isotope ratio measurements of macrofauna and Foraminifera, and K. Smith for review. This work was funded by the Bundesministerium f{\"u}r Bildung und Forschung as part of the BIGSET programme. Funding Information: Acknowledgements We thank M. O{\textquoteright}Reilly for assistance with stability calculations, and M. Brenner, P. Brooks, and J. McManus for comments on the manuscript. The Tanzanian Commission for Science and the Tanzanian Immigration Agency provided research permits, and the Tanzania Fisheries Research Institute and the crew of the R/V Explorer provided field assistance. This work was funded by the National Science Foundation, Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO)/FINNIDA Research for the Management of the Fisheries of Lake Tanganyika Project, United Nations/Global Environment Facility Lake Tanganyika Biodiversity Project, University of Arizona Graduate College, Sigma Xi, Geological Society of America, and Office for Scientific, Technical and Cultural Affairs of the Prime Minister of Belgium.",
year = "2003",
doi = "10.1038/nature01833",
language = "English (US)",
volume = "424",
pages = "766--768",
journal = "Nature",
issn = "0028-0836",
publisher = "Nature Research",
number = "6950",
}