Sulfidic cave ecosystems are extreme groundwater ecosystems showing high levels of hydrogen sulfide, methane, ammonium, heavy metals (iron, zinc, and copper), low oxygen concentration up to hypoxia and sometimes warm waters. The environments in these caves are hostile to the majority of organisms, yet several crustaceans thrive in them and rely on autochthonous food produced chemoautotrophically by sulfur-oxidizing bacteria forming complex trophic levels. Owing to their unusual chemistry, they are considered as hosting unique life forms supported entirely by chemoautotrophy, i.e. autochthonous food sources produced by sulfur-oxidizing bacteria forming complex trophic networks. Such species with unique morphological and ecological traits, and their habitat can be considered remarkable “evolutionary hotspots”.

In EVO-DEVO-CAVE we will combine the traditional methods use in morphological taxonomy, laboratory physiological tests and novel metagenomic techniques. Expansion of our current understanding of the life in sulfidic cave ecosystems will be the basis for identifying first the diversity of distinct groups of aquatic invertebrates and assessing the role of these organisms to such a particular ecosystem. Second, gauging the adaptations and toleration of groundwater crustaceans to different stresses in thermo-mineral sulfidic groundwaters (e.g., toxic levels of gases or lethally low oxygen concentrations) will allow understanding the high functional biodiversity of crustaceans associated with sulfidic waters.

Evo-Devo-Cave will be performed in the most known sulfidic cave ecosystems worldwide: Movile Cave (Romania), Frasassi Cave (Italy) and Melyssotrypa Cave (Greece). Evo-Devo-Cave imply a complete structural and functional biodiversity assessment in cave systems addressing several of the recommendations outlined issues of the European Habitat Directive (42/92, H 8310) related to cave habitats.