Observations on limnological conditions associated with a fish kill of Oreochromis niloticus in Lake Chivero following collapse of an algal bloom

Possible causes of deaths of Oreochromis niloticus in Lake Chivero were examined in relation to changes in limnological conditions monitored over a 25-month period. The fish deaths coincided with the collapse of an algal bloom that had developed and builtup in the lake for 8 months. Chlorophyll a and dissolved oxygen increased to average concentrations of 42.4 mu g l(-1) and 10.9 mg l(-1) respectively prior to the collapse of the bloom. Dissolved oxygen decreased when the bloom started to die off and coincided with the fish deaths when the average surface dissolved oxygen concentration in the lake was 3.9 mg l(-1) and was at a depth of 5 m < 2 mg l(-1). Mortality probably resulted from depressed oxygen levels caused by the high oxygen demand from the massive algal die-off and released algal toxins. This is the first time that die-off of algae has been linked to fish-kills in Lake Chivero as occurs in other hypereutrophic systems.