Many years of research into and monitoring of the status of the aquatic salamander or olm (Proteus anguinus) population in the Krka National Park have resulted in new, extremely important scientific dimensions of knowledge
Many years of research into and monitoring of the status of the aquatic salamander or olm (Proteus anguinus) population in the Krka National Park have resulted in new, extremely important scientific dimensions of knowledge.
The underground Karst water systems are one of the most hidden, but also most valuable parts of the natural heritage of the Krka National Park. This is precisely why the Park has been conducting systematic investigation and monitoring of the olm for many years, collecting data on its distribution and population, as well as the condition of the underground habitats in which it lives.
This data has now contributed to a much broader scientific story about the species.
New international research has shown that the olm, Proteus anguinus, traditionally considered a single species, is actually part of a complex, consisting of nine evolutionarily distinct species.
Among them is Proteus carrarae, the Dalmatian olm, in which the populations from Dalmatia and neighboring Herzegovina belong, including a population that has been researched for years in the Krka National Park.
The Krka National Park is particularly important for knowledge about this species. The population in the Park area is the northernmost known find of Proteus carrarae, and its habitat is also the only site where permanent, long-term monitoring of this species has been carried out.
Thanks to the continuous investment of the Krka National Park in researching subterranean fauna, today this very site is the source of exceptionally valuable data about the Dalmatian olm. The Krka National Park therefore deserves great credit for both the quantity and quality of data we have today about Proteus carrarae, its ecology, population, and any long-term changes to its habitat.
Although individual olm are very similar on the outside, modern research has shown that behind this similarity are hidden ancient evolutionary lines that developed separately for millions of years in different underground basins of the Dinaric Mountains Karst.
The latest discovery further confirms the exceptional value of the karst underground of the Krka National Park. Along with the well-known rivers, waterfalls, and travertine barriers, beneath the surface lies an equally valuable, but much less known world, one of whose most recognizable inhabitants is the Dalmatian olm.
The recognition of Proteus carrarae as a separate species also increases the responsibility for its conservation. Changes in the water regime, pollution, and surface interventions can have far-reaching consequences for underground ecosystems, which is why long-term monitoring and protection of groundwaters are crucial for the conservation of this species.
Research into the olm in the Krka National Park therefore continues. Data collected over the years permits monitoring changes in the population, along with a better understanding of the specie's ecology, as well as timely identification of potential threats.
The olm present in the underground waters of the Krka River has been monitored for years. Today we know that it belongs to a special evolutionary branch – the Dalmatian olm, Proteus carrarae.
This is yet another reason to preserve not only what we see on the surface of the Krka River, but also the incredible world hidden deep beneath it.
Foto: Vedran Jalžić i Dušan Jelić