Tonlé Sap

Tonlé Sap is Cambodia’s largest lake, connected to the Mekong River by the Tonlé Sap River. During the monsoon, the river reverses flow and expands the lake across its floodplain.

Tonlé Sap River: A Cambodian river connecting Tonlé Sap to the Mekong River, with flow that reverses seasonally. It carries Mekong floodwater into the lake during the monsoon, then drains the lake afterward.
Seasonal lake: A lake whose water level or extent changes substantially with seasonal conditions. Tonlé Sap’s changing size makes it a striking example of a seasonal lake.
Tonlé Sap Biosphere Reserve: A UNESCO biosphere reserve encompassing Tonlé Sap and parts of its surrounding floodplain. It provides an international conservation framework for the lake’s ecosystems and communities.
Tonlé Sap fish migration: The seasonal movement of fish through Tonlé Sap, its tributaries, and the Mekong system. Reversing flows and flooded habitats create routes between feeding and spawning areas.
Mekong River: A major Southeast Asian river that flows through six countries before reaching the South China Sea. Its monsoon flood pulse drives the Tonlé Sap River’s reversal.
Freshwater ecosystem: An ecological community and its environment in inland waters with low concentrations of dissolved salts. Tonlé Sap is a freshwater system shaped by changing water levels and habitats.
Inland fisheries: The harvesting of fish and other aquatic organisms from rivers, lakes, and inland waters. The lake’s seasonal flood cycle supports one of the world’s major inland fisheries.
Irrawaddy dolphin: A coastal and freshwater dolphin species found in parts of South and Southeast Asia. The species occurs in the Mekong system connected to Tonlé Sap.
Flood pulse concept: A model describing how recurring floods connect rivers with surrounding floodplains and shape their ecosystems. Tonlé Sap’s seasonal expansion is a prominent example of flood-pulse dynamics.
Wetland: An area where water covers or saturates the soil for all or part of the year. Seasonal inundation creates extensive wetland habitat around the lake.

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