“MEIOGYPSOS” Meiofauna of the karst waters of the Vena del Gesso Romagnola

Staff

12/12/2025

Project sheet

The MEIOGYPSOS project aims to investigate the meiofauna present in selected caves of the Vena del Gesso Romagnola Regional Park, with the objective of filling current knowledge gaps on the biodiversity of karst aquifers, which is still largely underestimated. Through this study, it will be possible to develop new tools for monitoring the quality of hypogean waters, which are essential for understanding the health status of subterranean ecosystems.

From a functional perspective, meiofauna is the assemblage of small benthic metazoans: the organisms that compose it range in size from 30 µm (down to 20 µm in deeper environments) to 1 mm, and have a biomass between 0.01 and 50 µg of dry weight. A central element of the project is the involvement of the local speleological community, which will become an active part of the research activities. The results will then be shared with the public through outreach events and scientific conferences, fostering greater awareness of the ecological value and fragility of karst environments.

Keywords

Project name

“MEIOGYPSOS” Meiofauna of the karst waters of the Vena del Gesso Romagnola

Duration

20 months

Location

Vena del Gesso Romagnola Regional Park

Responsible organisation

NBFC

Budget

€63,600.00 (NBFC contribution: €44,600.00; beneficiary co-financing: €19,000.00)

Index

Goals Stakeholders involved Main expected results Dissemination results

Goals

The project is structured around four objectives that combine exploration, genetic research, and ecological monitoring of the karst aquifers of the Vena del Gesso Romagnola:

Identification and mapping of underground water bodies, pinpointing the hypogean water pools that will be the focus of the study within the Park.
Creation of a checklist of subterranean meiofauna: sediment samples will be collected from the mapped pools and subjected to genetic and morphological analyses at the IRSA-CNR laboratories in Pallanza, in order to obtain a detailed list of the meiofaunal and microbiological species present.
Assessment of the quality of karst aquifers, using meiofauna as a sensitive bioindicator of the ecological status of hypogean waters.
Definition of a periodic monitoring plan, based on the tested genetic techniques and meiofaunal communities, in order to provide a reliable and repeatable tool for assessing the quality of karst aquifers over time.

Stakeholders involved

MEIOGYPSOS is based on strong collaboration with the speleological community and local organizations active in the Vena del Gesso Romagnola area. Key partners include the Emilia-Romagna Regional Speleological Federation (FSRER) and long-established local groups such as the Gruppo Speleologico Faentino and the Ronda Speleologica Imolese, which safeguard technical expertise and first-hand knowledge of hypogean environments. Alongside them operates the association La Nottola, long committed to enhancing the karst heritage, together with the Park’s Speleological Guides, who provide operational support and maintain a constant link with the territory. This network of stakeholders brings together experience, professionalism, and active participation—essential elements for the success of the project.

Main expected results

The project will lead to a significant increase in knowledge of the meiofauna and microbiology of the subterranean systems of the Vena del Gesso Romagnola, through the exploration of 20 hypogean pools using advanced metabarcoding techniques. The initial phase will enable precise mapping of the distribution of underground lakes within the Park, improving understanding of an environment that is still poorly known. The investigations will expand the picture of subterranean biodiversity, with particular attention to endemic or as yet undescribed species.

Targeted sampling of crustaceans and annelids will provide further insights into the biological communities present. Analysis of the collected data will also be used to assess the quality of hypogean waters, using meiofauna as a sensitive bioindicator of the ecological status of karst aquifers. At the end of the project, a periodic monitoring plan will be developed to track over time both water quality and the evolution of subterranean biodiversity, providing a stable tool for the conservation of these fragile and unique habitats.

Fine-mesh nets allow the water column to be filtered, ensuring the collection of even the smallest organisms. Francesco Grazioli Archivio fotografico dell’Ente di Gestione per i Parchi e la Biodiversità – Romagna Diritti riservati

Dissemination results

The dissemination and replicability of the project’s results are ensured by the use of innovative techniques that can be easily transferred to other karst contexts. The application of metabarcoding to the study of meiofauna and the microbiology of underground waters represents a reproducible methodological model, also applicable in other areas with similar hypogean ecosystems.

Similarly, the procedures developed for the periodic monitoring of aquifers—based on rapid and precise molecular techniques and the use of bioindicators—will provide standardized and replicable tools for assessing groundwater quality over time. These approaches will make it possible to extend the method to new protected areas and to build comparable monitoring networks across different karst systems.