Bermuda’s Walsingham Caves: A Global Hotspot for Anchialine Stygobionts

Bermuda is an Eocene age volcanic island in the western North Atlantic, entirely capped by Pleistocene eolian limestone. The oldest and most highly karstified limestone a 2 km2 outcrop of Walsingham Formation containing island’s 150+ caves. Extensive networks submerged cave passageways, flooded saltwater, extend under island. In early 1980s, divers initially discovered exceptionally rich diverse anchialine community inhabiting deeper sections fauna caves Tract consists 78 described species cave-dwelling invertebrates, including 63 stygobionts 15 stygophiles. Thus, it represents one world’s top hotspots subterranean biodiversity. Of fauna, 65 are endemic to Bermuda, while 66 crustaceans. majority limited their distribution just or only few adjacent Due Bermuda’s high population density, water pollution, construction, quarries, trash dumping produce severe pressures on groundwater health. Consequently, IUCN Red List includes 25 stygobiont as critically endangered.