Lake Ikeda

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Lake Ikeda
Lake Ikeda -
Location Kyushu island
Lake type caldera lake
Basin countries Japan

Lake Ikeda (池田湖 Ikeda ko?) is a caldera lake located 40 km south of Kagoshima city; Kyushu island, Japan. It is perhaps best known to tourists as the location of the purported sightings of a monster named Issie, and as the largest lake on Kyushu island.[1]

[edit] Deterioration

The development of the areas surrounding Lake Ikeda has caused the quality of the water to decline since 1955.[2] Other causes include an irrigation project developed in 1965, for agricultural field and households in the area.[2] Since the 1950's, the transparency of the lake, though still ranked No. 7 in the world[1] has decreased from 26.8 m to approximately 5 m.[2]

[edit] Animals

Eel from Lake Ikeda
Eel from Lake Ikeda

Lake Ikeda is known to harbour large eels, some six feet in length.[1] In 1998, a benthological survey was conducted in the lake, which found that there were no zoobenthos, although two tubificid oligochaetes and a chironomid were found.[3] The lake was already considered oligotrophic until the 1940's, but one theory for the further drop in underwater life is that the existing life in Lake Ikeda has been affected by Global Warming.[3]

[edit] References

  1. ^ a b c Major Destinations in Japan - Kyushu Island. www.jnto.go.jp. Retrieved on 2008-05-21.
  2. ^ a b c International Lake Environment Committee article on Lake Ikeda. International Lake Environment Committee. Retrieved on 2008-05-21.
  3. ^ a b Disappearance of deep profundal zoobenthos in Lake Ikeda, southern Kyushu, Japan, with relation to recent environmental changes in the lake. Ingenta Connect.com (2006-12). Retrieved on 2008-05-21.
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