EVO-DEVO-CAVE is an interdisciplinary research project on sulfidic groundwater ecosystems, which aims to explore the biodiversity (including cryptic diversity), the ecomorphological adaptations and tolerance to H2S, CH4 and NH4+ (originating from the thermomineral aquifers) across various taxa of stygobitic crustaceans as target groups (Copepoda, Ostracoda, Isopoda, and Amphipoda) living in SCEs. Moreover, the association with symbiotic bacteria already found in some crustacean species will be explored, and their coevolution will be analyzed in detail.

EVO-DEVO-CAVE integrates methods widely used in evolutionary biology (morphological and molecular taxonomy) with ecotoxicological tests and novel in-depth molecular methods and advanced computational tools such are environmental DNA (eDNA) metabarcoding and genomics, with the aim to estimate accurately biodiversity including cryptic species as well as describe phylogenetic relationships among selected species. Expansion of our current understanding of the life in sulfidic GW will be the basis for identifying the diversity of distinct groups of crustaceans and assess the ecological determinants of adaptive traits in such a particular GW system. Second, gauging the tolerance of distinct species of crustaceans to multiple-stress elements (H2S, CH4, NH4+, elevated temperature) will allow the understanding of: i) their adaptations to these types of waters; ii) the process of acquisition of new traits to cope with a “toxic” environment for the majority of life forms, and iii) their abilities to exploit different ecological niches at small spatial scale.