{
  "abstract": "Lakes are large natural sources of methane (CH₄), a potent greenhouse gas, resulting from the net balance of inputs from anaerobic and oxic methane production (OMP) and removal by methane oxidation (MOX). Here we investigate spatial patterns and causes of MOX variability in 79 African lakes. MOX is highest in the most productive lakes presumably due to methanotrophs attached to phytoplankton, as well as in lakes draining the wetlands of the Congo basin presumably due to inputs of methanotrophs from flooded forest soils. MOX represents the largest sink of dissolved CH₄ in the mixed layer (>70%) compared to the diffusive emission to the atmosphere (FCH₄). Photosynthesis-driven OMP estimated from literature data represents a small fraction of both MOX and FCH₄, and this fraction decreases with lake productivity and FCH₄ intensity. Available evidence suggests that photosynthesis-driven OMP increase supported by eutrophication can be compensated by a stronger increase in MOX.",
  "abstract_shown": true,
  "affiliations": [
    "Chemical Oceanography Unit, University of Liège, Liège, Belgium. alberto.borges@uliege.be.",
    "Chemical Oceanography Unit, University of Liège, Liège, Belgium.",
    "Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium.",
    "Department of Limnology, National Fisheries Resources Research Institute, Jinja, Uganda.",
    "Department of Graduate Studies, Research and Innovations, Soroti University, Soroti, Uganda.",
    "Laboratoire des Milieux Aquatiques, Institut Supérieur Pédagogique de la Gombe, Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of the Congo.",
    "Makerere University Biological Field Station, Makerere University, Kampala, Uganda.",
    "General Directorate, Tanzania Fisheries Research Institute, Dar es Salaam, Tanzania."
  ],
  "article_type": "research article",
  "arxiv": null,
  "author_total": 10,
  "authors": [
    {
      "affs": [
        0
      ],
      "name": "Alberto V Borges",
      "orcid": "0000-0002-5434-2247"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        1,
        2
      ],
      "name": "Cédric Morana"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        1
      ],
      "name": "Loris Deirmendjian"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        3,
        4
      ],
      "name": "William Okello",
      "orcid": "0000-0001-7275-0423"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        5
      ],
      "name": "Pascal Isumbisho"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        6
      ],
      "name": "Patrick Omeja"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        7
      ],
      "name": "Ismael A Kimirei"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        1
      ],
      "name": "Jean-Pierre Descy"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        1
      ],
      "name": "Willy Champenois"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        2
      ],
      "name": "Steven Bouillon"
    }
  ],
  "bibtex": "https://research.draconitic.com/paper/dhtdke2cprfq2.bib",
  "cited_by": 2,
  "doi": "10.1038/s41467-026-78255-9",
  "fulltext_url": "https://europepmc.org/articles/PMC13720054",
  "id": "dhtdke2cprfq2",
  "issns": [
    "2041-1723"
  ],
  "landing_url": "https://europepmc.org/article/MED/42957751",
  "language": "eng",
  "licence": "CC-BY-NC-ND",
  "licence_label": "CC BY-NC-ND",
  "licence_source": "article",
  "licence_url": "https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/",
  "metadata_licence": null,
  "native_subjects": [
    [
      "heading",
      "Article"
    ],
    [
      "openalex",
      "2306|Atmospheric and Environmental Gas Dynamics"
    ]
  ],
  "openalex": "W7214728499",
  "pdf_url": "https://europepmc.org/articles/PMC13720054?pdf=render",
  "pmcid": "PMC13720054",
  "pmid": "42957751",
  "published": "2026-09-29",
  "publisher": "Nature Publishing Group",
  "ris": "https://research.draconitic.com/paper/dhtdke2cprfq2.ris",
  "sources": [
    {
      "first_seen": "2026-11-01T00:20:44Z",
      "native_id": "MED:42957751",
      "source": "europepmc",
      "url": "https://europepmc.org/article/MED/42957751"
    },
    {
      "first_seen": "2026-11-02T12:23:54Z",
      "native_id": "PMC13720054",
      "source": "pmc",
      "url": "https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-026-78255-9"
    }
  ],
  "subjects": [
    {
      "field": "earth",
      "origin": "openalex:2306|Atmospheric and Environmental Gas Dynamics",
      "subfield": "climate"
    }
  ],
  "title": "Methane oxidation in African lakes increases with phytoplankton and outweighs photosynthesis-driven oxic methane production.",
  "title_text": "Methane oxidation in African lakes increases with phytoplankton and outweighs photosynthesis-driven oxic methane production.",
  "type": "peer-reviewed",
  "updated_at": "2026-11-03T12:21:00Z",
  "url": "https://research.draconitic.com/paper/dhtdke2cprfq2",
  "venue": "Nature communications",
  "versions": []
}