Special Issue of JGLR on the African Great Lakes

Table of Contents

Out of Africa: The Original Great Lakes!
ANN ARBOR, Mich. — The International Association of Great Lakes Research has often had its greatest focus on the North American Great Lakes, but researchers from North America have learned a great deal from studying large lakes in other parts of the world, and from collaborating with freshwater scientists and managers from other countries. This special issue of the journal contains twenty-two articles that illustrate the value of studying and comparing the freshwater systems on which human life and sustenance depend.

In Africa freshwater resources are at risk; 50% of the population suffers from water-related disease, and regional populations that depend for protein on fish from the African Great Lakes may be exposed to more food chain contaminants. The large rift lakes of Africa are the ancient home of great biodiversity; 10% of the world's fish species are found there. Lakes Victoria, Tanganyika and Malawi hold a quarter of the planet's freshwater supply. Located in the tropics, these lakes are very different from the young North American Great Lakes; they contain a high number of indigenous species, the water is resident for much longer periods, and nitrogen is usually a limiting nutrient. However, there are similar challenges; regional land use is causing greater inputs of nutrients and sediment, and over-fishing and invasive weeds threaten the sustainability of the system.

The authors have developed a thorough inventory of the major factors affecting the physical and chemical properties of the Rift Lakes water; they also assess nutrient enrichment both in sites where there is runoff from surrounding land uses, and in experimental areas where nutrients have been added. The algae present have been classified, and fish and invertebrate populations have been studied. Three articles in this special issue screen for the possibility that mercury may be building up in the food chain, but the results show that mercury levels in fish are comparable to those in the North American Great Lakes. This research provides an important starting point for future tracking and management of the African Great Lakes, and should provide inspiration for new research by local scientists as this International Year of Freshwater draws to a close.

Original Publication Information
This collection of 22 articles provides a thorough background on the aquatic environment, and some assessment of the fisheries of the African Great Lakes that will provide a strong foundation for future work. The authors include some local scientists who will develop more detailed assessment of the systems. Abstracts summarizing each article and the full text of each article are available in the latest issue (Special Issue of the International Journal of Great Lakes, Volume 29, Supplement 2, pp 1-293) of the Journal of Great Lakes Research, published by the International Association for Great Lakes Research, 2003.

If you wish to receive additional copies of this recent special issue of JGLR, please e-mail the IAGLR Business Office, office@iaglr.org, and request the number of copies you wish of JGLR Volume 29:suppl. 2 @ $25 each plus shipping and handling.

Contacts
For information about the issue devoted to new research on the African Great Lakes, contact

• Guest Editor, Harvey A. Bootsma, Great Lakes WATER Institute, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, 600E. Greenfield Ave., Milwaukee, Wisconsin 53204; hbootsma@uwm.edu; (414) 382-1717.
• Guest Editor, Robert Hecky, Biology Department, University of Waterloo, 200 University Ave. W., Waterloo, Ontario, N2L 3G1; rehecky@sciborg.uwaterloo.ca; (519)-888-4567, ext. 2820.

For information about the Journal of Great Lakes Research, contact Marlene Evans, Editor, National Water Research Institute, 11 Innovation Boulevard, Saskatoon, SK, S7N 3H5, Canada; marlene.evans@ec.gc.ca; (306) 975-5310.

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