THE TEAM 

Maja Zagmajster

I am coordinating the project Sub-BioMon. My research is mainly focused on studies of biodiversity, biogeography and ecology of subterranean fauna on different geographical scales. I am involved also in educational and citizen science activities, as well as communication with different stakeholders. Aims to improve conservation of subterranean habitats are important part of my work, also by leading activities within the other projects, related to improving knowledge on distribution, biodiversity patterns and monitoring of subterranean fauna (DarCo, NarcIS, LIFE-IP NATURA.SI).

DarCo

Life NarcIS  

LIFE-IP NATURA.SI  

 

Teo Delić

Extremely diversified taxa of subterranean beetles and groundwater amphipods, including their morphological diversity and mechanisms and processes that caused their proliferation, present the basics of my research interests. I cover field-work activities, from planning to performance, as well as morphological and molecular analyses of the collected samples. 

Cene Fišer

I am an expert in amphipod morphological taxonomy. My responsibility is to identify amphipod samples and to reconcile the classical amphipod taxonomy with barcodes.

 

Valerija Zakšek

As a researcher, I am interested in biogeographic patterns of subterranean fauna and what shaped them in diverse aquatic groups on the Dinaric Karst. I provide assistance with molecular part, from lab to analyses, also with e-DNA, field work and conservation related topics.

 

Anja Kos

I am a PhD student, studying the diversity of centipedes within the subterranean environments of the Dinarides. I spent a lot of the time in caves or molecular laboratory. I participate mainly as a help on activities related to fieldwork or sample management.

THE TEAM

Jean-Francois Flot, PI: working on molecular approaches to species delimitation, molecular systematics, genome assembly, experimental evolution, genome evolution, and bioinformatics, with particular emphasis on speleomics; project leader also in the Biodiversa + project DarCo.

 

Fabio Stoch, scientific coordinator: researcher interested in molecular and morphological taxonomy, phylogeny, macroecology, biogeography, and conservation strategies of groundwater crustaceans; he worked for several years on Nature 2000 monitoring programs of caves and freshwater habitats. He is involved in the DarCo Biodiversa+ project as well for taxonomic databases and phylobetadiversity large-scale analyses.

 

Olivier Collard, PhD student: interested in environmental DNA (eDNA), is performing his thesis on this topic working on cave habitats and applying third generation sequencing in this field; he will contribute in assembling a eDNA-based protocol for cave monitoring.

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Claire A. Chauveau, PhD student: Coordinator for relations with the Belgian caving community and stakeholders as well as speleological activities.  Her research interests deal with the study of bacterial biofilms and symbiotic associations between procaryotes and eucaryotes using third-generation sequencing (Oxford Nanopore).

THE TEAM

PI Enrico Lunghi

THE TEAM

Dr. Gergely Balázs, PI, Data acquisition, sample collection, field test of methods in Hungary, Coordination of WP5

Anna Biró, Researcher, Data acquisition, sample collection, field test of methods in Hungary

Dr. Gábor Herczeg, Adviser

THE TEAM

Sanda Iepure, PhD in Biology, Romanian Academy (Project coordinator). Sanda has broad research interest in subterranean biology and cave ecology, and on biodiversity, biogeography, and caves ecosystem function. Her researches also focus on systematics, and taxonomy of groundwater crustaceans (cyclopoids, ostracods); evolution and adaptations of cave crustaceans to extreme cave environments (ice caves, sulfidic caves) and cave aquatic fauna monitoring. 

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Oana Teodora Moldovan, PhD in Ecology, Universite Paul Sabatier, Toulouse, France. Interest in cave ecology, cave beetles and conservation issues in this project. 

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Catalina Haidău PhD student, Scientist, focusing on bacteria from caves. With experience in microbiology (aerobe microorganisms’ isolation & cultures; phylogeny), molecular techniques, as well as in bioinformatics, her role in the project will be to perform the molecular 

and eDNA analysis. 

 

Ruxandra Bucur, PhD in Biology, Romanian Academy, Cave beetles monitoring. Ruxandra is involved in research on cave fauna; her research interest is in the monitoring of terrestrial and aquatic fauna, as well as evolution, adaptation and speciation in subterranean environment. She uses molecular approaches to address issues on phylogeny and phylogeography of cave beetles for a better understanding of origin and evolution of subterranean biodiversity at different systematic levels, from populations to species.

 

Cristian Sitar, PhD in Biology, Entomology, taxonomy of cave beetles, field monitoring of cave fauna.  Cristian is an entomologist and ecologist. Since 2018, he has been part of the team at the Emil Racovita Institute of Speleology in Cluj-Napoca, where he is involved in monitoring cave fauna and studying the taxonomy and biology of cave beetles.

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Dragoş Ştefan Măntoiu, PhD in Biology, is an ecologist with a Batchelor and Master’s degree in Geography (GIS modelling) and a PhD on the migration pathways of bats. His work revolves around the movement ecology of animals, with multiple projects within caves and karst areas. 

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Orest Sambor, MSc, Bachelor in Biology, University Babes Bolyai Cluj Napoca, Romania. Orest holds a Bachelor's degree in Biology and a Master's degree in Systemic Ecology and Conservation from the Faculty of Biology and Geology, Babeş-Bolyai University, with his graduation theses focused on aquatic invertebrates. With expertise in ecology, hydrobiology, biospeleology, and as an ecologist, he continues to conduct research and field monitoring in cave environments, exploring various aspects of cave ecology, biodiversity, and ecosystem dynamics.

THE TEAM

PI Alexander Weigand– national project coordinator, taxonomic identification, reporting

Dr. Hannah Weigand – organization, data analysis, reporting

Dr. Dieter Weber – fieldwork, taxonomic identification, reporting

Stéphanie Lippert – laboratory work