Lake Malawi

Lake Malawi occupies a long freshwater basin in the East African Rift Valley, bordered by Malawi, Mozambique and Tanzania. Its cichlid fishes are central to its identity: a large variety of closely related species inhabit different depths and shoreline habitats, and many occur nowhere else. Their differences in feeding and behaviour make the lake an important setting for the study of evolution. Ichthyologists, scientists who study fish, investigate how this diversity developed and how the species coexist.

The lake also supports communities through fishing, bringing conservation questions into direct contact with livelihoods. Environmental pressures threaten habitats and water quality, so protecting its biodiversity involves more than preserving individual species. It suits an interest in freshwater ecology and African geography, while its fish communities distinguish it from lakes valued mainly for scenery. Rocky shores and open water offer different perspectives on the same connected ecosystem.