Algae and cyanobacteria in the aphotic habitats of Veternica Cave (Medvednica Mt., Croatia) and selected caves of the Dinaric karst (South-Eastern Europe)

Research reveals that microphototrophs, including algae and cyanobacteria, persist in the aphotic zones of Veternica Cave (Croatia) and other Dinaric karst caves, challenging assumptions about their presence solely in illuminated cave entrances. Despite being passively transported from surface habitats, live diatoms, green algae, golden-brown algae, and filamentous cyanobacteria were detected year-round, with their distribution influenced by hydrological conditions rather than distance from the entrance. The study, spanning a decade, highlights the role of these microphototrophs in cave food webs and calls for further investigation into their species identification, abundance, survival, and environmental determinants.

Baković, N., Pipan, T., Baković, R., Ozimec, R., Rubinić, J., & Matoničkin Kepčija, R. (2022). Algae and cyanobacteria in the aphotic habitats of Veternica Cave (Medvednica Mt., Croatia) and selected caves of the Dinaric karst (South-Eastern Europe). International Journal of Speleology, 51(3), 193–203. https://doi.org/10.5038/1827-806x.51.3.2422