The project will allow the creation of the first long-term ecological investigation into Western European caves.

Scientists will use the Vale Telheiro Cave in Loulé to study the underground biodiversity that purifies groundwater.”Caves are places we can access. They are unique locations to study biodiversity”, said Ana Sofia Reboleira, professor at the Faculty of Sciences of the University of Lisbon and leader of the Underground Ecology research group at the Ecology, Evolution and Environmental Changes Centre.

For three years, the biologist will lead the “Barrocal-Cave” project, which received €163,883 in funding from the Belmiro de Azevedo Prize, Foundation for Science and Technology.

The project will allow the creation of the first long-term ecological investigation into caves in Western Europe. It will assess the need for ecological restoration in the affected cave areas and the surrounding surface.

The main challenge will be conserving the Gruta do Vale Telheiro in the Barrocal area (a subregion of the Algarve between the mountains and the coast), recently recognised as a global hotspot of underground biodiversity.

The objective is to create useful information for the cave’s protection and a framework for its future ecological assessment, ensuring its sustainability. In addition, a plan for a legal framework to protect the habitat and the most important species is included.

Ana Sofia Reboleira told Lusa news agency that public visits to the cave would not be possible due to the dangerous atmosphere with very little oxygen. Only individuals with proper equipment can safely travel to the site.

Reboleira added that the small animals and organisms they will study are vital for biological processes. That is, to purify the abundant fresh water reserves ready for immediate human consumption.