Publications by authors named "Albert Getabu"
The Winam Gulf in the Kenyan region of Lake Victoria experiences prolific, year-round cyanobacterial harmful algal blooms (cyanoHABs) which pose threats to human, livestock, and ecosystem health. To our knowledge, there is limited molecular research on the gulf's cyanoHABs, and thus, the strategies employed for survival and proliferation by toxigenic cyanobacteria in this region remain largely unexplored. Here, we used metagenomics to analyze the Winam Gulf's cyanobacterial composition, function, and biosynthetic potential.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFMetagenomic sequencing of cyanobacterial-dominated Lake Victoria-an African Great Lake.
Microbiol Resour Announc
November 2024
We report 40 metagenomic libraries collected from the Winam Gulf of Lake Victoria during May-July of 2022-2023 and an additional eight opportunistic libraries from adjacent Lakes Simbi, Naivasha, and regional river systems. The sampling period captured cyanobacterial bloom events - shedding insight onto community composition and genomic potential.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFComponents of the lower food web (mussels, Caridina and Omena) were collected from stations from Winam Gulf, Lake Victoria, Kenya in 2022 and 2023 to analyze for stable isotopes and total mercury (THg). Temporal comparisons were made with data generated for the same species in 1998. Values of δN in mussels and Caridina were similar (6.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFArticle Synopsis
- The Winam Gulf in Kenya faces harmful algal blooms (cHABs) caused by poor wastewater treatment and excessive agricultural runoff, impacting water quality and public health.
- A study utilized molecular techniques, including gene sequencing and quantitative PCR, to identify toxin-producing cyanobacteria across different regions of the Gulf over two summer seasons.
- Results revealed significant spatial variability in bacterial communities and toxin synthesis potential, highlighting the need for targeted management strategies and ongoing monitoring to mitigate health risks.
The Nile perch (Lates niloticus L.) commercial fishery for Lake Victoria in East Africa is an important source of revenue and employment. We focused on shifts in food web structure and total mercury (THg) bioaccumulation and biomagnification in Nile perch, and lower food web items collected from Winam Gulf (Kenya) sampled 24 years apart (1998 and 2022).
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