Algae and their mode of life in the Baradla Cave at Aggtelek II

Abstract

lVith plates 6(1)-8(3) On page 16 of our publication which appel'ared in 1955 (J) we published a table concerning algae which we collected in the cave of Aggtelek, cultured on sunlight, returned them into the cave and reexamined after six months. Already in this publication we pointed out that we did not remove the entire algal material from the cave since it was our intention to carry out a further control examination after' another six months. (Unfortunately, we could not quite adhere to the planned six months interval and investigation of the material in the jars could only be carried out after approximately eight months.) In the following we will briefly summarize the dates on which examinations in the cave were canied out. On July 11, 1953 we made the first collection. The material which came from this collection and which was then cultured on sun light was returned into the cave on June 22, 1954 at the following three places: First jar: Around the center of Nador Street, on the left side, where the path broadens, in a groove of the wall, in a height of about 2m. Second jar: FUl'ther down on the left side of Nador Street, about 15 m. after the fil'st projection, at the back of a large stalactite, in a height of 2.5-3 m. Third jal': Defore the end of N adoI' Street, on the left side, at the second projection, after the terrace, in a groove of the wall, at a height of 2 m. (Consequently, all three jars were placed at a distance of 5-600 m. from the entrance.) On December 12, 195f[ we took the first samples from the glass dishes. The above mentioned table (1955. p.16.) contains the species we retrieved at the time. On October 13, 1955 we removed the glass boxes for the last time. At this occasion, we carefully wrapped the jars in black paper and kept I) New York University-Medical Center. 14 Speleology I Claus them that way unW we carried out the control tests to prevent their being exposed to light. The algae which thus turned up at the occasion of identification had therefore been 17 months, from June 22, HJ54 until October 13, 1955 in the cave in complete darkness. The enclosed photos show our jars after they had been brought up from the cave. IL can be seen from these photos that the algal material kept its hue in the past time interval; and the microscopical examinations show that our algae weathered out the past time period not in the form of spores 01' cysts leading a latent life. Although no proliferation on large scale took place they nevertheless kept their original consistency. That despite the long per'iod of darkness no degenerative processes Look place we were able to prove by exposing our cultures again to sun light and, in consequence, our algae in the glass boxes began to proli-ferate on large scale and formed abundant cultures. At the occasion of our next control test in December 1957 we were again able to recog-nize the species we had in October 1955. \'Ve wish Lo point out as an interesting fact that we filled up our cultures during these foUl' years only three times willi sterile Knopp solution and only once, in June 195/1, at the time of returning the algae to the cave, with water from Lhe brook of the cave. A bove fact greatly reduces the possibility of the hitherto known chemosynthetic processes con-cerning the assimilation of the algae in the jars. After closing aUI' tests, in January 1958, we prepared exiccata from aUI' cultUl'es.