Documentary resources

Press kit

Presentation file for the stygofauna program: In search of life in groundwater, 2024.

Videos

• “La Stygofaune“. TV show Arte Journal Junior from 2024-08-28.
• “Towards a bio-indicator of groundwater quality” (Part Two). Documentary directed by Claude Clin Productions © SEPANSO Aquitaine, 2023.
• “In search of life in groundwater” (Part One). Documentary directed by Claude Clin Productions © SEPANSO Aquitaine, 2022.
• “What is stygofauna?” (Teaser). Directed by Claude Clin Productions © SEPANSO Aquitaine, 2022.
  

Press articles

• “In search of stygofauna, these subterranean species indicators of water quality“. Article in L’Express, edition of August 24, 2024.
• “In search of stygofauna, these subterranean species indicators of water quality“. AFP dispatch of August 24, 2024.
• “What are these unique crustaceans discovered in the groundwater of Limousin?” Article in Le Populaire du Centre, Haute-Vienne edition of July 24, 2024.
• “Subterranean aquatic fauna: a miraculous catch in Limousin“. Article in La Montagne, Creuse edition of July 22, 2024.
• ” Gousse – In search of the little beast in the Blue Hole“. Article in Sud Ouest Landes, edition of December ¹, 2023.
• “Strange creatures. Gallaselle, who are you?“. Article in the Nouvelle République du Centre-Ouest, edition of March 5, 2023.
• “A new animal species revealed at the bottom of a resident’s well in Madirac“. Article in Sud Ouest Bordeaux Agglo, edition of December 16, 2022.
• “These little creatures could be very useful“. Article in Le Populaire du Centre, edition of Friday, June 24, 2022.
• “A 5 mm crustacean brandishes the banner of biodiversity“. Article in La Nouvelle République des Deux-Sèvres, edition of January 18, 2015.
• “Discovering the Gallaselle“. Article in Centre Presse and La Nouvelle République de la Vienne, editions of November 14, 2014.
• “In search of the crustacean, Asellus heilyi“. Article in Le Courrier de l’Ouest, Deux-Sèvres, and La Nouvelle République des Deux-Sèvres, editions of August 27, 2014.
• “Search for small aquatic animals“. Article in La Nouvelle République des Deux-Sèvres, edition of August 23, 2014.
  

Magazine articles

• “The Stygofauna program: towards a bio-indicator of groundwater quality“. Article in Terre & Sciences, No. 3, September 2025, pp. 32-34, by Thierry ALEZINE, Céline JOUANIN & François LEFEBVRE, 2025.
• “Stygofauna Program“. Article in Lettre RésEau Adour-Garonne & Charente, No. 7, Autumn 2025, p. 18.
• “In search of stygofauna, these subterranean species indicators of water quality“. Article in GoodPlanetMag‘, September 1, 2024.
• “In search of stygofauna, these subterranean species indicators of water quality“. Article in Sciences et Avenir, August 24, 2024.
• “Inventory of stygofauna. Update on program progress and latest discoveries“. Article in Sud-Ouest Nature 202, journal of SEPANSO Aquitaine, pp. 4-5, by Thierry ALEZINE & François LEFEBVRE, 2024.
• “First year of the Stygofauna program. Results and perspectives“. Article in Sud-Ouest Nature 194, journal of SEPANSO Aquitaine, pp. 16-17, by Thierry ALEZINE & François LEFEBVRE, 2022.
• “Groundwater – A living environment for a whole specialized fauna“. Article in Sud-Ouest Nature 187, journal of SEPANSO Aquitaine, pp. 12-14, by Thierry ALEZINE, François LEFEBVRE & Michel CAILLON, 2020.
• “Life in groundwater, a heritage to protect“. Article in Le Picton No. 243 May-June, p. 44-46, by François LEFEBVRE & Michel CAILLON, 2017.
• “Into the Darkness“. Article by journalist Chris LUCK for the English magazine Living Poitou-Charentes, Summer 2015 edition, pp. 30-31.
• “Nature portrait: gallaselles, people of the shadows“. Article in the Charente Nature monthly newsletter – November, by David NEAU & François LEFEBVRE, 2015.
• “Ecology and biology of Gallaselle(s) populations in Poitou-Charentes“. Article in the Deux-Sèvres Nature Environnement semi-annual bulletin No. 43 – 2, pp. 70-71, by Marjorie DELANGLE, 2014.
• “A new regional project: Gallaselle(s), habitats and associated fauna“. Article in the Deux-Sèvres Nature Environnement semi-annual bulletin No. 42 – 2, pp. 18-19, by François LEFEBVRE, 2013.
• “Biodiversity in groundwater“. Article in La Lettre de l’Eau, journal of France Nature Environnement, No. 60, p. 3, by Michel CAILLON, 2012.
  

Study reports

• “Inventory of subterranean aquatic fauna and quality of environments in Nouvelle-Aquitaine“. Internship report Professional License in Environmental Protection and Management (University of Pau and Pays de l’Adour / SEPANSO), Bordeaux, 29 p. + appendices, by Sylvie NIOLLET, 2023.
• “Inventory of subterranean aquatic fauna and quality of environments in Nouvelle-Aquitaine“. Internship report Master 1 Ecological Engineering (University of Poitiers / SEPANSO), Bordeaux, 18 p. + appendices, by Erwann DRUJONT, 2021.
• “Inventory of subterranean aquatic fauna and quality of environments in Nouvelle-Aquitaine“. Prefiguration report FNE-NA / SEPANSO, Bordeaux, 43 p. + appendices, by Thierry ALEZINE & François LEFEBVRE, 2020.
• “Study and protection of gallaselles and their subterranean aquatic habitats in Poitou-Charentes“. Final report of Poitou-Charentes Nature, Fontaine-le-Comte, 72 p. + appendices, 2016.
• “Contribution to the inventory of subterranean aquatic fauna and the study of the Gallaselle in Poitou-Charentes“. Internship report Master 1 (University of Poitiers / Poitou-Charentes Nature), Fontaine-le-Comte, 20 p. + appendices, Nil GODÉ, 2015.
• “Ecology and biology of Gallaselle(s) populations“. Internship report Master 2 (University of Poitiers / Vienne Nature), Fontaine-le-Comte, 50 p. + appendices, by Marjorie DELANGLE, 2014.
• “Proceedings of the National Gallaselle Seminar“. Report of the days of September 20 and 21, 2012, which brought together scientific and technical experts in Poitiers around Gallasellus heilyi (aquatic isopod crustacean), an endemic species of the greater central-western France; Poitou-Charentes Nature report, Fontaine-le-Comte, 33 p., by François LEFEBVRE, Bruno FILLON & Michel CAILLON, 2013.
  

Scientific articles

• “Diversity of Niphargus (Crustacea, Amphipoda) in France, as revealed by DNA barcoding approach“. In: Zoosystematics and Evolution, 101(4): 1831-1844, by Behare REXHEPI, Teo DELIČ, Gaj KUŠAR, François LEFEBVRE, Thierry ALEZINE, Xavier CHEVILLOT, et al., 2025.
• “Long-term monitoring of stygobitic fauna in the Amiel subterranean stream (municipality of Penne, 81)“. Proceedings of the 5th ANEK Congress (Gramat, France, December 9-10, 2023). In: Spelunca Mémoires, 40: 111-118, by Claude BOU & François LEFEBVRE, 2025.
• “Climate change and impacts on French stygofauna – Opportunities for studies to be conducted“. Proceedings of the 5th ANEK Congress (Gramat, France, December 9-10, 2023). In: Spelunca Mémoires, 40: 119-128, by Bernard LEBRETON & François LEFEBVRE, 2025.
• “A collaborative backbone resource for comparative studies of subterranean evolution: The World Asellidae database“. In: Molecular Ecology Resources, 24: e13882, by Nathanaelle SACLIER, (…) François LEFEBVRE, (…) Christophe DOUADY & Florian MALARD, 2023.
• “Distribution, ecology and diversity of the genus Gallasellus (Isopoda, Asellidae)“. Proceedings of the 18th International Congress of Speleology (Le Bourget-du-Lac, Savoie, France, 24-31 July 2022). In: Karstologia Mémoires, 21(1): 289–292, by François LEFEBVRE, Michel CAILLON, Claude BOU, Florian MALARD & Christophe DOUADY, 2022.
• “Differing trophic niches of three French stygobionts and their implications for conservation of endemic stygofauna“. In Aquatic Conservation, 29: 2193–2203, Fabio ERCOLI, François LEFEBVRE, Marjorie DELANGLE, Nil GODÉ, Michel CAILLON, Roland RAIMOND & Catherine SOUTY-GROSSET, 2019.
  

Conference posters

• “New stygobitic ostracod species of the genus Candonopsis (Candonidae) from interstitial waters of Nouvelle-Aquitaine, France“. At the 10th European Ostracodologists’ Meeting, University of Catania, Sicilia, Italy, 16-20 September 2024, by Michalina KIJOWSKA, Agata SZWARC, François LEFEBVRE, Thierry ALEZINE, Xavier CHEVILLOT, Florian MALARD, Christophe DOUADY, Anna WYSOCKA & Tadeusz NAMIOTKO. Abstract & Poster.
• “Niphargus diversity from South-West France through the lens of the barcoding fragment of cytochrome-oxidase I (Crustacea, Amphipoda)“. At the 26th International Conference on Subterranean Biology, Cagliari, Sardinia, Italy, 9-14 September 2024, by Behare REXHEPI, Gaj KUŠAR, François LEFEBVRE, Thierry ALEZINE, Xavier CHEVILLOT, Marie-José OLIVIER, Florian MALARD, Christophe J. DOUADY, Fabio STOCH, Jacques CHAUVIN, Maja ZAGMAJSTER & Cene FIŠER. Abstract & Poster.
  

Book chapters

• “The Gallaselle: a regional specificity?” Chapter in Bêtes et Plantes de la Vienne, Vienne Nature editions, September 2017, p. 84-87, by François LEFEBVRE, 2017.
• “Cave Shrimps“. Chapter in Le Horst de Champagné-Saint-Hilaire, by Pierre ROSSIGNOL, Bernard BALUSSEAU & Louis VIBRAC, Geste Editions, 2014.
  

Web pages

• “Stygofauna“. Article published on the website of SIGES Nouvelle-Aquitaine/BRGM, 2025
• “There is life in the groundwater of Nouvelle-Aquitaine!“. Article published on the website aqui.fr, 2024.
• “There’s life in the groundwater of Poitou-Charentes!“. Article on the website of SIGES Poitou-Charentes-Limousin/BRGM, 2022. Link expired, article can be found on the new SIGES Nouvelle-Aquitaine/BRGM, 2025.
• “Stygofauna“. Article on the website of SIGES Poitou-Charentes-Limousin/BRGM, 2021. Link expired, article can be found on the new SIGES Nouvelle-Aquitaine/BRGM, 2025.
• “Subterranean environments“. Article on the ARB-NA website, 2020.
• “Study program on stygofauna in Nouvelle-Aquitaine“. Article on the SEPANSO Federation website, 2020.
• “Subterranean aquatic habitats and stygofauna“. Article on the website of SIGES Poitou-Charentes-Limousin/BRGM, 2018. Link expired, article can be found on the new SIGES Nouvelle-Aquitaine/BRGM, 2025.
• “The Gallaselle: endemic crustacean of the groundwater of Poitou-Charentes“. Article on the Vienne Nature website – excerpt from the book Bêtes et Plantes de la Vienne, 2017.
• “The Gallaselle, a crustacean with high heritage value“. Article on the RPAPN Poitou-Charentes website, by François LEFEBVRE, Michel CAILLON, Christophe DOUADY & Florian MALARD, 2016.
• “Gallaselle(s), subterranean aquatic fauna and habitats in Poitou-Charentes“. Article on the Poitou-Charentes Nature website, by François LEFEBVRE & Thibaud DUMAS, 2014.
  

Radio interviews – Podcasts

• “Stygofauna, witness to water quality“. Podcast Sur le Fil, AFP, Sept 5, 2024: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1AegPfsnzOU
• “The Niphargus and the Gallaselle”. Interview with François ALAMICHEL by RCF Poitou, show Chroniques de l’Environnement, July 13, 2021.
• “Subterranean aquatic habitats within the framework of the Green and Blue Belt“. Interview with François LEFEBVRE for Radio Accords Poitiers, week of July 24, 2014.
• “The Gallaselle project“. Interview with Michel CAILLON by France Bleu Poitou, Décodeur show, September 26, 2013.
  

Exhibitions and Signage

• “The natural riches of the valley – Stygobitic fauna“: large format panel by Alban PRATT and the municipality of Roches-Prémarie-Andillé (south of Poitiers, 86) in permanent exhibition on the Aquariums-Lavoirs site.
  
• “Well (1824) and Bataillé river“: panel by the Deux-Sèvres Departmental Caving Committee (CDS79), at the descent well to the subterranean river, mentioning the discovery of the Gallaselle at this location.
  

Selection of external resources

• “Educational documents” on the website of the Biospeleology Study Group of the French Caving Federation.
• “Groundwater Ecology and Evolution” (second edition), by Florian MALARD, Christian GRIEBLER & Sylvie RÉTAUX, Academic Press (Elsevier), London, 610 p., 2023.
• “The use of crustaceans as sentinel organisms to evaluate groundwater ecological quality“, by Pierre MARMONIER, Chafik MAAZOUZI, Arnaud FOULQUIER, Simon NAVEL, Clémentine FRANÇOIS, Frédéric HERVANT, Florian MERMILLOD-BLONDIN, Antonin VIENEY, Sylvie BARRAUD, Anne TOGOLA & Christophe PISCART. Ecological Engineering, 57: 118-132, 2013.
• “From research to operational biomonitoring of freshwaters: a suggested conceptual framework and practical solutions“, by Michel LAFONT, Guillaume TIXIER, Jiri MARSALEK, Céline JÉZÉQUEL, Pascal BREIL & Laurent SCHMITT. Ecohydrology & Hydrobiology, 12: 9-20, 2012.
• “The potential use of fauna and bacteria as ecological indicators for the assessment of groundwater quality“, by Heide STEIN, Claudia KELLERMANN, Susanne I. SCHMIDT, Heike BRIELMANN, Christian STEUBE, Sven E. BERKHOFF, Andreas FUCHS, Hans Jurgen HAHN, Barbara THULIND & Christian GRIEBLER. Journal of Environmental Monitoring, 12: 242-254, 2010.
• “Obligate groundwater fauna of France: diversity patterns and conservation implications“, by David FERREIRA, Florian MALARD, Marie-José DOLE-OLIVIER & Janine GIBERT. Biodiversity and Conservation, 16: 567-596, 2007.
• “Sampling Manual for the Assessment of Regional Groundwater Biodiversity“, by Florian MALARD, Marie-José DOLE-OLIVIER, Jacques MATHIEU & Fabio STOCH et al. European PASCALIS project report (No. EVK2-CT-2001-00121), Lyon, 74 p. + appendices, 2002.
• “Encyclopaedia Biospeologica“, by Christian JUBERTHIE & Vasile DECU. Société Internationale de Biospéologie, Moulis-Bucharest, vol. 1, pp. 1-834, 1994 / vol. 2, pp. 835-1373, 1998 / vol. 3, pp. 1376-2294, 2001.
• “Stygofauna Mundi“, by Lazăr BOTOŞĂNEANU. Brill & Backhuys, Leiden, 740 p., 1986.