18S rDNA metabarcoding of microeukaryotes in aquatic biotopes of the Shulgan-Tash Cave (Kapova Cave)

The Shulgan-Tash cave is a well-known cultural heritage site and a popular tourist destination. Studying and monitoring the microbial communities of the Shulgan-Tash cave is an important task not only to characterize the underground ecosystems but also to assess human-induced threats to them. We have previously described the biodiversity of prokaryotic communities of wall fouling in Shulgan-Tash Cave. In this work, we applied the method of metabarcoding based on the 18S rRNA gene to describe the general taxonomic diversity of microeukaryotes in aquatic biotopes of the cave. We also performed a comparative analysis of the described subterranean communities with communities of similar biotopes on the surface, in the immediate vicinity of the cave.