Project
Research of underground of island Mljet
The island of Mljet, famous for its mild climate and natural beauties, is a popular tourist destination. The variety of flora and fauna has attracted and still attracts numerous biologists and cave researchers. The first explorations of Mljet underworld had been initiated by unexplainable subterranean detonations which started in the year 1822 and suddenly ended several years later. In the year 1824, a group of scientists from Vienna arrived to Mljet with the intention to explain those phenomena. The first written information about the underground of Mljet derives from that time. At the turn of the 20th century the first biospeleologists came to the island. Searching for interesting and unexplored cave fauna they have visited about ten of the most famous caves and pits. However, sustained speleological and biospeleological explorations started only fifteen years ago, through a cooperation of the members of the Croatian Biospeleological Society and Public Institution of National Park Mljet. In the mid nineties Branko Jalžić had visited several caves and collected underground fauna. Several members of the society participated in the summer camp on the island organized by Biology students association BIUS in 2001. In the following years Branko Jalžić organized several more visits to the island and in 2007 a project for the speleological and biospeleological research financed by the Public institution of the National Park Mljet begun. Due to the understanding of the National Park management, explorations have been done outside of the park boundaries as well. Therefore, the speleological map of the whole island is considerably completed.
During the explorations in the year 2007 and 2008 a total of 28 caves and pits have been explored. Research was done mostly on land with few of the most famous sea-sunken speleological objects included. Caves were topographically mapped and geologically, paleontologically and biospeleologically investigated.
Our explorations resulted in a revelation of the deepest pit on the island which is the Međugrađen Pit above Babino Polje, 102 m deep. Currently, the longest cave on the island is Galičnjak Cave near Okuklje, 130 m long.
Interesting archaeological remains, mostly from the Bronze Age have been found in several caves. In the Galičnjak Cave barely known travertine stalactites have been found for the first time in Croatia.
Explorations of fauna gave very interesting results. Several animal species that were unknown to the fauna of Croatia were discovered. However, the most important finding was the discovery of new species of subterranean beetles from the families Staphylinidae and Scydmaenidae. Based on the collected material, three new species have been already described, Bryaxis krilei, Euconnus longipedes and Scydmoraphes speluncarius.
Unfortunately, after all explorations, some speleological objects known from the literature could not be found. Bushy vegetation on Mljet still hides their entrances. Results of the research will be presented in the booklet «Guide-book through the Mljet underworld» which is in preparation at the moment.
Project executers:Helena Bilandžija
(leader), Branko Jalžić (co-leader), Jana Bedek, Tvrtko Dražina,
Marko Lukić, Kazimir Miculinić, Martina Pavlek, Domagoj Perkić.
The following persons have participated in field explorations:Petra Bregović, Hrvoje Cvitanović, Vedran Jalžić, Petra Kovač Konrad i Predrag Rade.
In laboratory work:Peter Fenda, Peter Hlavač, Fanica Kljaković Gašpić, Sanja Gottstein, Ana Komerički, Frano Kršinić, Iva Mihoci, Vesna Štamol i Ivna Vukšić.
We are very thankful to the Public Institution National Park Mljet, especially to Osvin Pečar, Jakov Nodilo and Damjan Aljinović for rendered assistance and successful cooperation.