Limnological studies of Lake Wisdom, a large New Guinea caldera lake with a simple fauna

SUMMARY. Lake Wisdom is of interest because it is large and deep, has oxygen throughout, and yet, apparently as a result of its recent formation, its biota has some surprising lacunae. It is nearly circular and fills the central caldera of Long Island, Papua New Guinea (5° 20′ S, 147° 6′ E). Its maximum length is 13.4 km, and area approximately 95 km². A bathymetric map of the lake to depths of 300 m has been constructed from fathometer transects. Repeated soundings in the deeper parts gave depths of about 360 m. The surface of the lake is approximately 190 m above sea-level and water samples from the deepest part of the lake are fresh, so the basin is apparently sealed. The lake level shows annual fluctuations of c. 1.0 m. Limnological information has been collected during seven visits to Lake Wisdom over the period 1969–76. The surface temperature of the lake was constant at 28°C throughout this period and the temperature falls very gradually to 26–27°C at 60 m, except for a relatively rapid drop of approximately 1°C from 10 to 20 m. One of the most unusual features is the relatively high oxygen concentration in the deepest parts of the lake. Living chironomid larvae and molluscs were collected from the bottom in depths of 360 m. Light penetration in the lake varies greatly depending on the amount of rainfall and the volcanic activity of Motmot, a secondary cone within the lake. The biota of Lake Wisdom is rather simple. There is a low standing crop of phytoplankton. Benthic algae are abundant and diverse although they cover only a limited area because of the depth of the lake. There are no vascular aquatic plants. The pelagic fauna consists of two species of Cladocera and one species of notonectid. There is one species of sponge, four species of molluscs, and a small number of species of aquatic insects including Hemiptera. Odonata, and the larvae of chironomids, mayflies, a caddisfly, and a pyralid moth. Water birds, including ducks, grebes and waders, are fairly numerous. The lake also contains one or more crocodiles.