Yavuzatmaca, MehmetKülköylüoğlu, OkanSarı, NecmettinBaşak , ElifMengi, Hamdi2021-06-232021-06-2320121356-191Xhttps://hdl.handle.net/20.500.12491/4973https://www.scopus.com/inward/record.uri?eid=2-s2.0-84865492822&partnerID=40&md5=808c7cca441c21aafa28ab48ab433aa6To understand cave Ostracoda assemblage composition and diversity in the western Black Sea region of Turkey, eleven caves were sampled between September and October, 2010. Seven ostracod taxa were recorded (Ilyocypris inermis, I. bradyi, Ilyocypris sp., Candona neglecta, Candona sp., Pseudocandona sp., and Heterocypris sp.) inhabiting six of eleven caves examined. Two additional taxa (Psychrodromus olivaceus and Psychrodromus sp.) were also collected outside of Çayirköyü Cave and the entrance of Aksu and Sankaya caves, respectively. The records of adult individuals of I. inermis and i. bradyi represent the first records from cave environments, while the record of C. neglecta is only the second record from cave environments. Almost all of the caves studied were characterized by low diversity and abundance. Unweighted Pair Group Mean Averages with about 85% similarity indicated the presence of three groups comprised of three, seven and three sites respectively. Similarities based on ecological variables were higher between caves in close geographical proximity to each other compared to those farther apart. The results indicate that the occurrence of ostracods within caves is dependent on environmental conditions within the aquatic habitats present at the sites.eninfo:eu-repo/semantics/closedAccessAbundanceCavesDiversityEcologyOstracodaArticle39253582-s2.0-84865492822Q4