Where is it? A few kilometers from the Black Sea, in Romania. It’s called the Movile Cave. It was sealed for a long, long time. So long, that inside it, life has developed in isolation from the rest of the planet. The cave hidden for millions of years is a biological treasure.
Strange space
How long in total? 5.5 million years. The site was discovered in 1986. Workers from the Soviet Union were looking for new land to build a nuclear power plant. However, they were unable to access its deepest chamber. It was blocked by a series of limestone tunnels and vertical shafts. An exploration was documented in an article published in Science in 1996. A team of biologists from the University of Cincinnati gained access to this never-before-seen ecosystem.
Inside, the air contains less than half as much oxygen compared to outside. Also, high levels of carbon dioxide and hydrogen sulfide were recorded. This is toxic air for much of the life on Earth. As if all this were not too hostile, the cavern is in complete darkness. It has not received a single ray of sunlight for millions of years.
The study conducted by the team of biologists identified 48 species. 33 were totally new to science and possessed unique characteristics. The unpublished creatures included spiders, pseudoscorpions, centipedes, wrens, leeches, snails. Because of the absence of light, most of these animals have no vision and lack pigment.
This cave harbors the first known ecosystem based on chemosynthetic microorganisms. what does it mean? Most ecosystems are based on photosynthesis. But in an environment of total darkness, bacteria get their energy in another way. It happens from chemical reactions such as ammonium oxidation or sulfur oxidation.
Secrets in the cave
Movile Cave has the closest terrestrial ecosystem to that found in hydrothermal vents. They are in the deepest parts of the ocean, with no access to sunlight.
Experts believe there are still many species yet to be discovered. This is a fascinating prospect for biology. We have the opportunity to continue to observe the outcome of evolution in a small dark world. The cave hidden for millions of years still holds secrets.
