In 2010 the U.S. Fish and Wildlife (USFWS) was petitioned to federally list the Manitou Cave Snail, (Antrorbis breweri ), a stygobiont endemic to Manitou Cave in northwestern Alabama. When an agency is tasked with determining whether to add a species to the Endangered Species List, one of the components examined is potential threats to the biota. Knowing the recharge area for a cave or spring is critical to identifying potential threats because of the interconnectivity between surface activities and groundwater quality/quantity in karst areas. Potential threats to water quality and quantity in Manitou Cave include recent subdivision developments, a nearby active quarry, land clearing, and several major highways. The 1.7 km-long cave is currently owned by a non-profit organization, Manitou Cave of Alabama, which oversees management, restoration, research, and documentation activities. In 2016, talks began between state and federal agencies and the new management in an effort to initiate new research to determine whether the snail merited listing. In 2019, a cooperative project between USFWS and the U.S. Geological Survey was started to delineate a recharge area for Manitou Cave through dye tracing. The current research will be used by USFWS to determine primary threats and to inform the decision of whether and how to list the Manitou Cave Snail under the Endangered Species Act.
