Jill Yager is continuing her research in submerged caves. In 1997 she co-led a North American-Cuban cave diving expedition to the eastern part of Cuba. The team investigated submerged caves in the province of Holguin. This summer she will again co-lead a joint expedition in Cuba, concentrating on anchialine caves of the Isla de Juventud and areas in the extreme western tip of the island. A paper describing a new species of remipede from San Salvador Island, Bahamas, is in press.

The Cave Conservancy Foundation is offering two fellowships this year for research in karst studies. The fellowships are available for research in any cave and karst field, including but not limited to archeology, biology, engineering, geography, geology, and social sciences. Research can involve any karst area, including those outside the USA. The Undergraduate Fellowship in karst studies is being offered for the first time in 1999, and will be for an award of up to $5,000. Although the deadline for submission has already passed for this year, look for the announcements of the first Undergraduate Fellowship recipients in karst studies by 15 April 1999.

The Graduate Fellowship will consist of a $15,000 award. Applicants must be full-time graduate students. For consideration, please submit the following: a letter of intent, a thesis proposal, graduate transcripts, and two letters of recommendation, one being from the thesis advisor. Mail applications before 1 June 1999 to: Cave Conservancy Foundation, 13131 Overhill Lake Lane, Glen Allen, VA 23059. Announcements of the award will be made by 15 July 1999. For more information contact Dr. Dave Culver, Department of Biology, American University, 4400 Massachusetts Ave. NW, Washington, DC 20016-8007 or via e-mail at dculver@american.edu.

Graham Proudlove

About a year ago I set up an e-mail discussion list for cave biology so that we could ask questions and air ideas quickly and easily. This proved to be very useful and was easy for me to manage using the Majordomo software. Unfortunately the open access provided by Majordomo was abused by someone who sent rather unpleasant messages to the list. It thus became necessary to make the list a closed one. This enables me to let everyone who wishes join the list (I ask them what interest they have in cave biology) and screen all messages. The down side of this is that it requires manual intervention for all traffic; also the Majordomo software is terribly difficult to use in closed mode. Because of this difficulty there has been no traffic on the list for some months.

I have now resolved the problem. Majordomo is still used for subscriptions to the list and for sending messages (see below for details). In both cases the messages come to me. I check on the bona fides of the person wishing to join and then add them to a distribution list I manage with Pegasus Mail. Similarly any messages sent to Majordomo come to me for approval and I paste them into a Pegasus Mail message. I hope that I can continue to find the time to manage things in this rather laborious way.

To join the cave-biology discussion group send an e-mail message to: majordomo@mcc.ac.uk, with a one line message: 'subscribe cave-biology'. This will come to me and I will contact you to ask why you want to join (unless I know you, or of you, already). To send a message to the list (e.g. Does anyone know how many Amblyopsis spelaea there are in East Twin Cave?) send a message to: cave-biology@mcc.ac.uk. This will also come to me for distribution. Please note that you must use majordomo@mcc.ac.uk to get onto the list in the first place and thereafter use cave-biology@mcc.ac.uk to communicate using the list. Please don't send subscription messages to cave-biology@mcc.ac.uk because 1) it won't work and 2) you will annoy over 120 people.

I hope that we can now begin again to use this list and that it will be of benefit to all. Any subject within the broad outline of cave biology is allowed together with other related useful functions (e.g. I need to contact Megan Porter, does anyone know her e-mail address?). If you send a message I don't see to be relevant I will ask you to justify it.

Please send any questions and comments to me: g.proudlove@umist.ac.uk

Thank you to everyone who participated in the special biospeleology symposia at the 1998 NSS Convention in Sewanee, Tennessee. The symposia were a huge success, with presentations given by biospeleologists on a diversity of topics, including subsurface microbiology, molecular techniques in cave studies, cave conservation from an ecosystem perspective, and biospeleological biodiversity and systematics. The symposia format appears to be a favorable media for bringing together karst biologists that hopefully will be continued in the future. As for the 1999 NSS Convention in Filer, Idaho, start preparing your data for presentation and watch for the call for abstracts announcements in the NSS News.

A number of congress papers dealing with subterranean crustaceans were presented at a special memorial symposium honoring Prof. Jan H. Stock and his extensive contributions to the systematics and evolutionary biology of groundwater amphipods. The symposium was organized by Drs. Dan L. Danielopol and Koen Martens and included a series of papers that covered the faunas of ancient lakes and the deep sea, as well as those of subterranean waters.

Dear Sir/Madam: We would like to invite you to participate in the work of the XIVth International Symposium of Biospeleology, which will be held in 1999 in Makarska, Croatia. The first announcement for The XIVth International Symposium of Biospeleology and all the preliminary information can be found at http://www.hpm.hr/biospel. We would be grateful if you can spread the information to fellow biospeleologists. All the best,

Drasko Holcer, Organizing Committee of the XIVth International Symposium of Biospeleology

Croatian Biospeleological Society

c/o Croatian Natural History Museum, Demetrova 1 HR - 10000 Zagreb Croatia

e-mail: biospel@hpm.hr

Tel:385-1424995; fax: 385-1424998

Plans are now in the works to have the 2001 symposium in Brazil, probably in a karst area southwest of Sao Paulo. This symposium is being organized by Dr. Eleonora Trajano at the University of Sao Paulo (e-mail: etrajano@usp.br). It has been decided tentatively to hold this meeting a week prior to the next International Congress of Speleology, which will be hosted in Brazilia probably sometime in August 2001.

In conjunction with this congress, the SEC has decided to publish a special issue of its journal, Espelunca, dedicated exclusively to biospeleological themes. In honor of the 60th anniversary of SEC, the special edition will be dedicated to the memory of our recently deceased President, Dr. Antonio Nunez Jimenez. We encourage the biospeleological community of NSS to present their work in this special bulletin. Those interested should send their work (2 copies) to Abel Pérez González, Responsable de la Edición Especial de la revista Espelunca, A.P. 678, C.P. 11300, Habana 13, CUBA or via e-mail to: biokarst@cidea.unepnet.inf.cu. The abstract deadline is 15 August 1999 via post mail and 15 November 1999 via e-mail.

In 1998, the Karst Waters Institute (KWI) published a list of what KWI determined to be the ten most endangered karst communities, a project that evolved out of the proceedings of a scientific conference held in February 1997 on the conservation and protection of karst biota. Sponsored by KWI, the conference included 100 participants from 10 countries. Conference participants and other karst experts nominated 40 endangered communities in 1998. Another 19 karst locations were nominated in 1999 as candidates for KWI’s "most endangered" list. Karst ecosystems selected exhibited biological significance including: rare, endemic, or threatened species, or communities rich in biodiversity; significant threats to the survival of the communities; and individuals or groups interested in protecting the threatened karst. As this project evolves in sophistication and gains publicity, it is the hope of KWI and all of the project’s participants that enhanced protection efforts for these karst communities will grow.

Retrospectively, there has been one success and several failures involving those communities included on the 1998 list. The Canarian Government declared the Cueva del Viento System in the Canary Islands a natural protected site in 1998 thus prohibiting the construction of any new houses. This is a definite step in the right direction, but enforcement of the new law may prove difficult due to a lack of funding and an increasing demand for housing. On a darker, less encouraging note, the mining of limestone for a cement plant located on the Ha Tien-Hon Chong karst in Vietnam is continuing and causing significant destruction in the area. Two other sites from the 1998 list, Church and Bitumen Caves in Bermuda and the Koloa Lava Tube System in Hawaii, have been reselected for this year’s list primarily because the threats to these sites have escalated. The remaining six sites listed in 1998 are still threatened and protection efforts are still necessary.

The ten most endangered karst communities for 1999 are as follows:

The Cambodian Caves are a series of limestone hills that form a tower karst in the southeastern part of Cambodia near the border of Vietnam in the provinces of Kampot, Kompong Trach, and Tuk Mea. The tropical ecosystem of these Cambodian hills is extremely rich and diverse, however, the overall biology is not well known. Two aquatic species are endemic to Kompong Trach Cave and several species of bats are present in large quantities within all of these caves. Some snakes and fishes also exist within the Cambodian caves, but sampling has been limited and the extent of their distribution is unknown. Exploitation of limestone, calcite, and guano is damaging the hills and harming species residing within the system: limestone is supplied to a factory north of Kampot; calcite traditionally has been the source for preparing special cements and artificial stones, especially in Kompong Trach; phosphate-rich guano deposits are used for improving rice field soils. Extracting guano removes an already limited energy resource for the species within these caves. No organizations have expressed publicly an interest in protecting these caves.

Church & Bitumen Caves are located beneath Ship's Hill on the grounds of the Marriott Castle Harbour Resort in Hamilton Parish, Bermuda. Church Cave contains the largest underground lake in Bermuda, with an area of 1500 m² and a maximum depth of 22.5 m. Bitumen Cave, just north of Church Cave, is the deepest underwater cave in Bermuda. Within its main chamber an 8 m pit intersects a tidal salt-water pool which extends down to a depth of 25.5 m. There are at least eleven cave species that are endemic to the lakes of these caves including five species of copepods, two isopods, and one each of ostracod, amphipod, shrimp, and polychaete. Nine of these species are listed as critically endangered by the International Union for the Conservation of Nature Red List and many are primitive forms that represent ancient lineages. The Castle Harbour Development includes a $60 million housing project, which involves the construction of 37 luxury townhouses on top of Church Cave and a retail center on top of Bitumen Cave. Partially treated wastewater from the development will be used to irrigate golf courses surrounding the caves. Additionally, due to its soft overlying limestone, weak entrance, and unstable history, there is a high potential for a significant collapse within Bitumen Cave. The Bermuda Plan of 1992 prohibited any development that is harmful to caves, but development dollars proved to be more persuasive than environmental protection. Subsequently, Castle Harbour was given the authority by the government to proceed with the project. The Bermuda-based group, Save Open Spaces, hopes to encourage the Marriott Hotel corporation and the Bermuda Government to preserve these caves.

Located in South Central Texas, Edwards Aquifer can be considered one of the most prolific artesian aquifers in the world. It is the only water source for more than 1 million people in San Antonio, the eighth largest city in the U.S., and for farmers and ranchers in Central Texas. It was the first aquifer in the nation to be designated as a sole-source aquifer under the Safe Drinking Act of 1974. The aquifer is divided into three parts: the drainage area which occurs on the Edwards Plateau and covers approximately 4400 square miles; the recharge zone which is a 1500 square miles area that allows large quantities of water to flow into the aquifer; and the artesian area which covers approximately 2100 square miles. The aquifer underlies 3600 square miles in eight counties and is 180 miles long ranging in width from 5 to 30 miles. Forty unique aquatic species and eight other species that are listed as endangered reside within Edwards Aquifer including the Texas Blind Salamander (endemic to the Edwards Aquifer and one of the first species to be placed on the U.S. Federal Endangered Species List). All eight species are threatened by reduced spring flows caused by increased pumping, elimination of habitat, and degradation of water quality caused by urban expansion. During times of drought the amount of water drawn out of the aquifer is extremely high leading to lower levels in the aquifer. Levels drawn below historic lows create a potential for saline water encroachment into the aquifer, which threatens the species viability and could cause changes in species diversity. The state of Texas has formed the Edwards Aquifer Authority to manage the aquifer. The Authority could implement contingency plans, cutting local water consumption during severe droughts when aquifer water levels are in danger of breaching historic lows. However, such a decision is unlikely because the majority of the board with executive control over the Authority is composed of electors from the heaviest water-use areas. Local groups concerned with the well being of the aquifer include: Lone Star Chapter of the Sierra Club, Guadalupe-Blanco River Authority, and biologists at Southwest Texas State University and the University of Texas at Austin. Local protectionist groups hope that sufficient publicity will encourage the Authority to implement measures aimed at keeping aquifer levels adequate to assure springflow.

The Koloa Lava Tube System in the southeast corner of Kauai near the towns of Koloa and Poipu is one of the most threatened communities in Hawaii. This pseudokarst community contains at least three endemic cave species. Two of these species, the no-eyed, big-eyed wolf spider and a terrestrial amphipod, are candidates for listing under the U.S. Endangered Species Act. The third endemic species is a recently described terrestrial isopod. Other species found within these caves include cockroaches, termites, earwigs, and springtails. The system is threatened by agriculture, urbanization, refuse dumps, deforestation, and mining. All of these threats will alter the surrounding lands and deteriorate the quality of water entering the cave, inevitably harming the local species as well as affect human drinking water sources. Another concern is the invasion of alien species, which could potentially extinguish the native species. Local groups interested in the conservation of the Koloa Lava Tube System include the Hawaii Speleological Survey, the Hawaii Conservation Task Force of the National Speleological Society, the Pacific Islands Ecosystem Office of the USFWS, and some local government agencies. Public awareness will encourage both the protection and the federal listing of the threatened species living within these caves. It will also assist in the establishment of research to monitor the effectiveness of protective management strategies. As in most situations, protection of surface environments is the key to the conservation of this system.

Kosciusko Island is located in Southeast Alaska in the Alexander Archipelago, west of Prince of Wales Island, in the Ketchikan area of the Tongass National Forest. A team in 1998 documented nearly 50 new caves, many with relatively horizontal passages - an unusual feature among Southeast Alaskan caves. The biology of Kosciusko karst is essentially unknown. Studies throughout the Tongass, however, suggest that Kosciusko Island will be critical for its karst biology and will shelter numerous unique and possibly new species of cave-adapted invertebrates. Neighboring islands have revealed at least seven new species of invertebrates. These karst formations may also contribute to the viability of coho salmon; studies indicate a positive relationship between alkalinity of streams flowing from karst landscapes and the enhanced density of coho salmon parr. Continued logging and road building act as the most significant threats to Kosciusko Island. The associated soil loss results in sedimentation thus degrading the quality of the ground water. Many of the caves on the island have already been severely damaged from sedimentation and others have been used intentionally as containers for logging and road debris. The Tongass National Forest has established =tandards and Guidelines for the management of karstlands, but implementation has been weak. The Glacier Grotto, Tongass Cave Project, Southeast Alaska Conservation Council as well as the National Speleological Society, Forest Service Employees for Environmental Ethics, the Nature Conservancy, and the Earth Justice Legal Defense Fund (formerly the Sierra Club Legal Defense Fund) are interested in preserving the karstlands throughout the Tongass National Forest. These groups have worked to inform the public about the plight of the Tongass forestlands and karstlands, and have endeavored to protect Kosciusko Island from additional logging.

Movile Cave, located 2 km from the Black Sea near the town of Mangalia, in the province of Dobrogea, Romania, provides the setting for a unique chemoautotrophically-based ecosystem. Chemoautotrophic bacteria use the energy that result from the oxidation of hydrogen sulfide, methane, and ammonia to provide the food base for the entire community of organisms. A rich and abundant community of terrestrial and aquatic invertebrate species flourish within Movile Cave in complete isolation from surface fauna. To date, thirty-three endemic species have been described. The Movile sinkhole, adjacent to the cave, has been transformed into a dump site for the town's garbage, causing leaching of pollutants to affect the balance of nutrients and disturb the system as a whole. In spite of tedious efforts to increase public awareness regarding the value of this ecosystem, the local government still faces a lack of funding needed to transport the town's garbage an extra 5 km to a proper dump site. The Group for Underwater and Speleological Explorations is interested in protecting this cave. It is possible that with proper funding the local government could have the town's garbage transported to a proper dumpsite.

Puerto Rico's North-Northwest Karst Province stretches from the Aguadilla Municipality to the Loiza Municipality, with the region west of La Plata River being the most endangered area. The Northwest Karst Province has the most forest cover and the least fragmented habitat left in Puerto Rico and contains hundreds of caves that are essential for the survival of bats. There are many species endemic to this region, including twenty-two species of plants and fifteen species of animals that are legally designated as threatened or endangered. Factors contributing to the decline of this region include excessive pumping of water from the local aquifer, limestone extraction to fulfill a demand of approximately 20 million cubic meters per year, and residential and industrial development. A non-profit organization, Ciudadanos Del Karso, is organizing to pass a bill in the name of karst protection in Puerto Rico. A speleo group, Fundacion de Investigaciones Espeleológicas del Karso Puertorriqueño, is also interested in the protection of this karst region. These groups hope that public awareness will stimulate protection efforts and intend to conduct a vigorous lobbying effort of government authorities aimed at stimulating an official response to the threats confronting Northwest Karst ecosystems.

Organ Cave, located in Southeast West Virginia near White Sulfur Springs and Lewisberg, is one of the longest, best-known, and most significant caves in the United States. Its known length of 37.6 miles ranks it as the seventh longest cave in the US and the twenty-first longest in the world. At 486 feet, it is also the fourth deepest cave in West Virginia. It is listed as a Natural National Landmark, with published accounts of tourism dating back to 1837. Organ Cave is rich in biodiversity with twelve different cave-limited species, establishing it as a significant system. Additional species found within the cave include mites, spiders, springtails, beetles, and bats. The seven species of bats residing within Organ Cave include both the Indiana Bat, which has been placed on the U.S. Federally Endangered List, and the extremely rare Small Footed Bat. Threats to Organ Cave include the West Virginia Department of Highways’ plan to upgrade nearby U.S. Route 219 from a two-lane road to a four-lane access highway. Logging and other highway construction preparations will increase runoff and are therefore cause concern for the overall health of the system.

Snail Shell Cave, located just southwest of Murfreesboro, is the longest continuous cave in the central basin of Tennessee with 13 miles of passages. It contains two underground streams and a large sinkhole surface opening with dimensions of 100 feet by 200 feet. There are at least three endemic species to Snail Shell Cave including a cave beetle, cave snail, and an undescribed species of blind aquatic snail. Other significant species that reside within Snail Shell Cave include the Gray Bat (listed on the Federal Endangered List and threatened throughout all of its range); the Southern Cavefish (no more than 100 occurrences within the state of Tennessee); and the extremely rare and critically imperiled Big Mouth Cave Salamander (no more than 5 occurrences within the state of Tennessee). The ever-growing population within the area of Murfreesboro greatly threatens the cave. Additional threats come from vandals and the frequent carelessness of recreational cavers who are perhaps unaware of the presence of rare species. Erosion, primarily from ATVs and trucks driven through the forest, is also occurring around the sinkhole, thereby affecting the quality of water within Snail Shell Cave. Several local groups are interested in the well being of the cave, including the Nature Conservancy, Tennessee Chapter; Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation, Division of Natural Heritage; Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency; Murfreesboro Grotto; Lincoln Memorial University; and Southeastern Cave Conservancy, Inc. It is the hope of these groups that education via publicity will make people aware of the impact that their presence has on the cave and its species’ well being.

Zinzulusa Cave, located 2 km north of Castro Marino (Lecce, Italy), exhibits an exceptionally rich biodiversity with sixty species and subspecies described to date. It is believed that this listing will increase with further exploration. The first pool inside Zinzulusa Cave, La Conca, is characterized by brackish waters and contains both marine and fresh water species. The second pool, Il Cocito, is characterized as oligohaline and shelters a stygobitic fauna, including a new stygobitic sponge. Pollution from urban discharge waters threatens the cave along with tourists near the entrance of the cave who litter and destroy natural formations. The Commune of Castro Marina is currently developing a protection program for the cave in response to the negative impact of tourism. The Department of Environmental Sciences at the University of L'Aquila (Italy), Gruppo Speleologico Salentino "P. de Loretiis" Lecce (Italy), the Castro Commune, and the Alderman Nini Ciccarese have all taken an interest in protecting Zinzulusa Cave.

The Ozark Plateau is a massive karst uplift that contains many unique and endangered species, provides excellent spelunking opportunities, and continues to intrigue and inform biospeleologists at the University of Arkansas. Dr. Art Brown, our team leader, was instrumental in getting the Ozark blind cavefish (Amblopsis rosae) on the endangered species list and protecting their main habitat, Cave Springs Cave. Cave Springs Cave is a horizontal, phreatic conduit system of about 3km with a mean annual streamflow of 3 m³/s. It also hosts a maternity colony of endangered gray bats. We have been monitoring environmental quality and cavefish populations for over 14 years, and have found some alarming trends recently. This ecologically sensitive water body does not meet Arkansas water quality standards for fecal coliform densities, and copper, selenium, and lead concentrations exceeded limits for exposure to aquatic life. High nitrite values have been recorded, as well as the presence of one toxic volatile organic, DEHP. A trend analysis of known water quality studies of this cave complex suggests that many organic and inorganic chemicals have increased in concentration in the last 14 years. A visual survey was performed on January 25, 1998, and 106 cavefish were sighted. This survey indicated a 30% decline in the Cave Springs Cave population.

The current fellowship study will attempt to fully describe the trophic dynamics of a cave stream ecosystem. An organic matter budget will be developed to determine the organic matter sources and sinks and determine present status of water quality. Incubation experiments will be performed to determine the bioavailability of these organic matter sources. Microbial biomass will be compared to changes in the amount and type of DOM or POM (particulate organic matter) in an effort to describe the contribution of microbes to the trophic web and establish the microbial community as a bioindicator of disturbance in the form of eutrophication.

Once organic flux is linked to microbial growth, this study will identify the organic matter source(s) that support the trophic web. These organic resources will be traced through the foodweb of an Ozark cave stream using multiple stable isotope assays. In doing so, known trophic links will be confirmed or new ones discovered, including the hypothesized contribution by bat guano and the enrichment of the organic matter budget by the introduction of agricultural residues. If successful, the study findings will not only contribute to the field of aquatic ecology, but give groundwater and land managers new tools and knowledge to conserve endangered biota and groundwater resources.

Because the spring discharges directly to the Gulf of Mexico, it is subject to tidal influences. At peak discharge at the end of the wet season (typically September and October), the spring siphons only during the highest high tides that occur during the full and new moon, if it siphons at all. At this time, peak low tide flow is estimated at about 0.3 cubic meters per second. At low discharge at the end of the dry season (typically April and May), the spring generally experiences significant siphoning events at least once daily at high tide. At the end of the dry season, saltwater from the Gulf may reach a penetration of 580 meters into the cave system during siphoning events. (Penetration refers to the total distance a diver has traveled along the main line to reach a point in the cave system from the entrance.)

The main tunnel, called Thunder Road, is 2 meters tall and 2 meters wide at an average depth of 15 meters fresh water (mfw) for the first 380 meters of penetration. At a penetration of 380 meters, the cave opens into a large room, the R and B Room, which is 18 meters tall and 33 meters in diameter. Near the floor of the R and B Room at a depth of 28 mfw there is a halocline and a one meter layer of water that has a specific conductivity two times that of the main flow (10,000 microSiemens compared to 5,000 microSiemens). On the floor of the R and B Room, there are several small saltwater vents that extend below a depth of 30 mfw.

Beyond the R and B Room, the cave passage continues at an average depth of 26 mfw through three smaller chamber rooms to a bedding plane restriction at a penetration of 503 meters and a depth of 25 mfw. At 548 meters penetration, the restriction opens to a 3.5-meter tall tunnel at an average depth of 35 mfw. Observations made during siphoning events indicate that 580 meters is the farthest point normally reached by saltwater siphoning into the system during high tides. At this point, the incoming saltwater starts swirling and interacting with vents and fissures in the floor and walls. Originally, the bedding plane restriction limited exploration because diver propulsion vehicles could not be brought through the restriction. The Wolf’s Bypass Tunnel was discovered in a corner of the second room in the series of chamber rooms enabling the divers to bypass the bedding plane restriction and to use diver propulsion vehicles farther back in the system.

Where the Bypass Tunnel meets the main line beyond the restriction, the average depth of the cave is 33.5 mfw and the penetration is 580 meters. At a penetration of 610 meters there is a small room, the Sampling Room. At a penetration of 670 meters, the main tunnel splits at the "T." The right tunnel (as seen swimming into the system) continues at an average depth of 35 mfw. The right tunnel is a series of rooms separated by bedding planes and includes some large rooms similar to the R and B Room. This tunnel has been explored to a penetration of 945 meters and continues beyond that point.

Beyond the T, the left tunnel drops down to an average depth of 39 mfw. At this depth, there is a, white, bacterial "cloud" on top of a distinct halocline/thermocline. Samples collected from the white cloud using sterile syringes have been examined by Dr. Robin Brigmon of the Savannah River Technology Center. Sulfur oxidizing bacteria and nanoflagellates were identified in the samples. This area of the cave is known as the Dragon’s Lair. The cooler freshwater on top is flowing toward the cave entrance and the warmer saltwater below is stagnant. A biofilm also coats the walls of the cave below the halocline.

At a penetration of approximately 823 meters the left tunnel goes up a chimney to a depth of approximately 18 mfw and the halocline and "cloud" are no longer present. A large room, the Bacteria Room is encountered at a penetration of 975 meters. In the Bacteria Room, the ceiling is at a depth of 12 mfw and the only lead out of the Room is on the floor at a depth of 33.5 mfw. The Bacteria Room gets its name from the fact that many of the recesses in the walls and ceiling are filled with orange bacterial/fungal mats. The lead from the Bacteria Room has been explored to a penetration of 1280 meters and continues beyond that point.

The general trend of the cave system is to the northeast and the cave is below dry land at a penetration of approximately 427 meters. No karst windows leading to the cave system have been found inland. No detritus, leaves, or plant material, which would indicate the presence of an upstream karst window, have been observed being carried by the spring water beyond a penetration of 580 meters.

The first ecosystem is found within the first 580 meters of the cave system and is subject to inflows of saltwater during siphoning events. Fauna and flora identified in this area of the cave system include:

• A troglobitic crayfish of genus Procambarus in the Lucifugus Group is found throughout the freshwater areas in the cave system that have been explored. This crayfish has no eyespots compared to other members of the same genus in West Central Florida with eyespots. It is possible that this crayfish represents a new species, but species determination requires examination of a form I male. So far, form I males have eluded collection.
• Three more species of troglobitic crustaceans have been observed in this area of the cave system: an isopod (Caecidotea sp.) and two amphipods (Crangonyx hobbsi and Crangonyx grandimanus). These crustaceans have been observed in side passages and in the corners of rooms where the flow is weaker than in the main passage. Identifications were made by Dr. Richard Franz of the Florida Museum of Natural History.
• A hydroid, Garveia franciscana, is found at a penetration of 30 to 580 meters, corresponding to the area that is regularly inundated by saltwater during siphoning events. This hydroid is considered a brackish water species normally found in salinities of 0.5 to 15 parts per thousand (ppt), but briefly tolerating salinities of over 30 ppt. The hydroid colonies become dormant during the wet season when freshwater flow is high enough to prevent the siphoning of saltwater into the system. Some of the largest hydroid colonies are found near saltwater vents on the floor of the R and B Room. Dr. Dale Calder of the Royal Ontario Museum made this identification.
• Entoprocts have been identified with hydroid colonies found near saltwater vents on the floor of the R and B Room. (I am looking for someone who might be able to perform a species identification of the entoprocts.)
• Two species of mussels, Mytilopsis leucophaeata and Brachydontes exustus, are found in the cave system. These identifications were made by Dr. Fred Thompson of the Florida Museum of Natural History. M. leucophaeata is found at a penetration of 61 to 625 meters. B exustus is found near the floor of the R and B Room where the water generally has a salinity of 6 to 7 ppt, which is higher than the average salinity of the freshwater flow in the cave system at about 3 ppt. It is also important to note that mussels are not found beyond a penetration of 625 meters, which is downstream from the Dragon’s Lair. The mussels have proven to be very interesting because they are coated with a mineral/microbial community that includes three morphotypes of slender filamentous bacteria and bacterial filaments encased in a mineral deposit rich in ferric iron. This mineral/microbial community is the subject of an ongoing study being performed by Dr. David Gillan of the Universite Libre de Bruxelles and Dr. Robin Brigmon.
• Hydrobiid snails have been observed in sediment samples from the cave.
• Orange mats and isolated floating orange "balls" composed primarily of fungi, filamentous iron bacteria, and packets of cocci are found in some areas of the cave system. The orange balls accumulate below the halocline that forms near the floor of the R and B Room and the crayfish have been observed congregating in this area and handling the balls.

The second ecosystem is found in the area of the cave known as the Dragon’s Lair. Here, chemolithotrophic bacteria may supply the majority of organic carbon in the ecosystem. The Dragon’s Lair does not receive detritus from the siphoning of saltwater and no evidence of the input of detritus from upstream karst windows has been observed. Fauna and flora identified in this area of the cave system include:

• The troglobitic crayfish of genus Procambarus is found in the Dragon’s Lair. These crayfish have been observed foraging below the halocline on the floor. In fact, the floor is completely covered by crayfish tracks.
• A troglobitic crayfish of genus Troglocambarus is found in the fresh water above the halocline.
• The isopod (Caecidotea sp.) and amphipods (Crangonyx hobbsi and Crangonyx grandimanus) have been observed in the freshwater zone above the halocline.
• The saltwater zone below the halocline is ideal habitat for troglobitic crustaceans such as thermosbaenaceans, ostracodes, and remipedes. However, none of these have been observed or collected. Plankton net tows are needed to properly survey the area below the halocline for these crustaceans.
• Sulfur oxidizing bacteria and nanoflagellates have been identified in the white cloud above the halocline. The sulfide oxidizing bacteria appear to be the primary producers within the Dragon’s Lair and the nanoflagellates the primary grazers.
• A biofilm completely coats the walls of the cave below the halocline. This film includes a variety of diatoms, filamentous bacteria, and iron bacteria. The diatoms and their tests appear to form the "backbone" of the biofilm.
• At this point in the study, no sediment samples have been collected from the Dragon’s Lair for examination of bacterial types. Anaerobic bacterial activity, including sulfur reduction, may be identified as studies continue.

During February 1997, a Hydrolab was carried into the cave system to collect basic water quality information. The following table summarizes the data:

Notes: All in cave readings collected at low tide.

* The dissolved oxygen probe may not have equilibrated or may have experienced interference from sulfide.

The preliminary data collected to date are forming the basis of a proposed dissertation in the Marine Sciences Department at the University of South Florida. As with many research projects, the preliminary data has created more questions than answers. The project is particularly attractive because it offers the opportunity to study a readily accessible chemolithotrophic ecosystem. Other chemolithotrophic ecosystems such as thermal ocean vents or gas hydrate seeps in the Gulf of Mexico require major expeditions to visit and study. The Crystal Beach Spring is accessible on a weekly basis using advanced cave diving techniques at a fraction of the cost of a major expedition.

Partial support for this project has been provided by the National Association for Cave Diving, Arnold Jackson of American Underwater Lighting, Neptune Divers Dive Shop of Largo, Florida, and Depth Perceptions Dive Shop of Brandon, Florida.