Articles | Volume 30, issue 9
https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-30-2543-2026
https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-30-2543-2026
Research article
 | 
04 May 2026
Research article |  | 04 May 2026

Leveraging 20 years of remote sensing to characterize surface phytoplankton seasonality and long-term trends in lake Tanganyika

François Toussaint, Alice Alonso, and Marnik Vanclooster

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Cited articles

Adrian, R., O'Reilly, C. M., Zagarese, H., Baines, S. B., Hessen, D. O., Keller, W., Livingstone, D. M., Sommaruga, R., Straile, D., Van Donk, E., Weyhenmeyer, G. A., and Winder, M.: Lakes as sentinels of climate change, Limnol. Oceanogr., 54, 2283–2297, https://doi.org/10.4319/lo.2009.54.6_part_2.2283, 2009. 
Alvera-Azcárate, A., Barth, A., Rixen, M., and Beckers, J. M.: Reconstruction of incomplete oceanographic data sets using empirical orthogonal functions: Application to the Adriatic Sea surface temperature, Ocean Model., 9, 325–346, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ocemod.2004.08.001, 2005. 
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Bergamino, N., Loiselle, S. A., Cózar, A., Dattilo, A. M., Bracchini, L., and Rossi, C.: Examining the dynamics of phytoplankton biomass in Lake Tanganyika using Empirical Orthogonal Functions, Ecol. Modell., 204, 156–162, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ecolmodel.2006.12.031, 2007. 
Bergamino, N., Horion, S., Stenuite, S., Cornet, Y., Loiselle, S., Plisnier, P. D., and Descy, J. P.: Spatio-temporal dynamics of phytoplankton and primary production in Lake Tanganyika using a MODIS based bio-optical time series, Remote Sens. Environ., 114, 772–780, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.rse.2009.11.013, 2010. 
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Short summary
We analysed 20 years of satellite data to study changes in surface phytoplankton concentration in Lake Tanganyika. Results reveal strong seasonal patterns linked to known hydrodynamics, with decreasing levels in deep areas and increases in shallow regions. These changes could alter the lake’s ecosystem and threaten the resources that millions of people rely on.
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