African tilapia in Lake Nicaragua: ecosystem in transition

Lake Nicaragua, which is the largest tropical lake outside of Africa, is integrated with the surrounding coastal ecosystems along the Caribbean, and is home to more than 40 species of fish. The highly productive fisheries in the region are an important economic and agricultural resource for native populations. The lake has been stocked with African tilapia since the 1980s, leading to reductions in stocks of cichlid populations. Given the hardiness and reproductivity of these fish, the introduction threatens the collapse of the ecosystem, particularly if the fish migrate into other waterways.