World Register of marine Cave Species (WoRCS)

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Introduction to WoRCS

The World Register of marine Cave Species (WoRCS) aims to create a comprehensive taxonomic and ecological database of species known from marine and anchialine cave environments worldwide. The assembled data will form a Thematic Species Database (TSD) of WoRMS. The cave-related information will be managed by the WoRCS thematic editors in collaboration with the taxonomic editors of WoRMS, who manage the taxonomic content. The creation of this database will allow for an accurate assessment of the diversity and distribution of such faunas, and will provide information vital for evidence-based conservation.

News

Assessing the Motile Fauna of Eastern Mediterranean Marine Caves

Added on: 2025-08-09 22:17:21 by Gerovasileiou, Vasilis

Using a standardized rapid visual census protocol, a new study highlights the often-overlooked motile fauna of Eastern Mediterranean marine caves, documenting a total of 163 taxa, including new records for both the regional marine cave fauna and cave habitats more broadly. ...

Fishes in Marine Caves

Added on: 2024-06-26 15:35:14 by Gerovasileiou, Vasilis

New paper provides an overview of the existing knowledge on fishes in marine caves of the world ...

Sponge Communities of Submarine Caves and Tunnels on the Fernando de Noronha Archipelago, Northeast Brazil

Added on: 2024-04-16 13:23:48 by Gerovasileiou, Vasilis

New study in Fernando de Noronha Archipelago (Northeast Brazil), increased the number of sponge species known in this marine area from 29 to 69, highlighting the great richness of the sponge communities in these cryptic environments. ...

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WoRCS Editorial Team

Please contact the most relevant editor according to the roles listed below.

Editor Group (* founding editors)

Álvarez Noguera, Fernando: Arthropoda (* Anchialine caves, Central America, South America)
Bailly, Nicolas: Chaetognatha, Pisces (* data management, Arctic, Southern Ocean)
Becking, Leontine E.: Porifera (Anchialine lakes and pools, Indo-Pacific Islands)
Boxshall, Geoff: Crustacea (* Anchialine caves)
Gerovasileiou, Vasilis: Biota (* Coordinator/networking, Marine caves, Mediterranean Sea, Sessile Fauna)
Humphreys, William F.: Animalia (* Anchialine caves, Australasia)
Iliffe, Thomas M.: Crustacea (* Marine caves, Anchialine caves, North America, Caribbean Sea, Bahamas, Bermuda)
Jaume, Damià: Crustacea, Thermosbaenacea (* Anchialine caves, Mediterranean Sea)
Márquez-Corro, José Ignacio: Restionaceae
Martínez García, Alejandro: Biota (* Marine caves, Anchialine caves, Atlantic Oceanic Islands, Africa, Cuba, Meiobenthic groups)
Muricy, Guilherme: Porifera (marine caves, South America)
van Hengstum, Peter J.: Amoebozoa, Foraminifera (marine & anchialine caves, North America)
Yamasaki, Hiroshi: Biota (Marine caves, Asia, Meiobenthic groups)

Citation

Usage of data from the World Register of marine Cave Species in scientific publications should be acknowledged by citing as follows:

Gerovasileiou, V.; Martínez García, A.; Álvarez Noguera, F.; Boxshall, G.; Humphreys, W.F.; Jaume, D.; Becking, L.E.; Muricy, G.; van Hengstum, P.J.; Yamasaki, H.; Bailly, N.; Iliffe, T.M. (2025). World Register of Marine Cave Species (WoRCS). Accessed at https://www.marinespecies.org/worcs on 2025-08-31. doi:10.14284/351

If the data from the World Register of marine Cave Species constitute a substantial proportion of the records used in analyses, the chief editor(s) of the database should be contacted. There may be additional data which may prove valuable to such analyses.

Individual pages are individually authored and dated. These can be cited separately: the proper citation is provided at the bottom of each page.