Cyanobacteria blooms—A possible cause of mass mortality of Lesser Flamingos in Lake Manyara and Lake Big Momela, Tanzania

dc.creatorLugomela, Charles
dc.creatorPratap, Harish B.
dc.creatorMgaya, Yunus D.
dc.date2016-05-11T14:06:48Z
dc.date2016-05-11T14:06:48Z
dc.date2006
dc.date.accessioned2021-05-03T13:28:57Z
dc.date.available2021-05-03T13:28:57Z
dc.descriptionLimnological studies were conducted in three alkaline lakes (Lake Big Momela, Manyara and Embagai) with the aim of investigating the cause of mass mortality of the Lesser Flamingos in Lake Manyara and Lake Big Momela during July–August 2004. High concentrations, up to 150 million filaments per liter of the potentially toxic planktonic cyanobacterium Arthrospira fusiformis were found in surface scum of Lake Big Momela where Lesser Flamingos were dying at a rate of between 15 and 50 individuals per day during the study period. Gut content analyses indicated that A. fusiformis was the main food item in moribund flamingos. Mouse bioassay suggested that the crude microalgal extract dominated by A. fusiformis was toxic with all mice close to death becoming lethargic, with loss of balance, uncoordinated movements, intermittent tremors, dyspnoea with gasping followed by respiratory arrest. This observation gives circumstantial evidence that A. fusiformis at such high concentrations was toxic to the Lesser Flamingo in Lake Big Momela. # 2005 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.
dc.identifierLugomela, C., Pratap, H.B. and Mgaya, Y.D., 2006. Cyanobacteria blooms—A possible cause of mass mortality of Lesser Flamingos in Lake Manyara and Lake Big Momela, Tanzania. Harmful Algae, 5(5), pp.534-541.
dc.identifierhttp://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11810/1952
dc.identifier10.1016/j.hal.2005.10.001
dc.identifier.urihttp://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11810/1952
dc.languageen
dc.publisherElsevier
dc.subjectLesser Flamingos
dc.subjectCyanobacteria
dc.subjectLake Big Momela
dc.subjectLake Manyara
dc.subjectTanzania
dc.titleCyanobacteria blooms—A possible cause of mass mortality of Lesser Flamingos in Lake Manyara and Lake Big Momela, Tanzania
dc.typeJournal Article, Peer Reviewed

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