æz ðə kˈeɪv wʌz kəmplˈiːtli kˈʌt ˈɔf fɹʌmðɪ aʊtsˈaɪd ɛnvˈaɪɹənmənt, ɪt səstˈeɪnd ɐn ˌɪndᵻpˈɛndənt ˈiːkoʊsˌɪstəm; ðɪs ˈiːkoʊsˌɪstəm ɹᵻlˈaɪd fɚɹən ˈɛnɚdʒi sˈoːɹs nˈiːðɚɹ ˌɔn sˈʌnlaɪt ænd fˌoʊɾoʊsˈɪnθəsˌɪs, nˈɔːɹ ˌɔn ɐn ɛkstˈɜːnəl sˈoːɹs ʌv ɔːɹɡˈænɪk kˈɑːmpaʊndz.
As the cave was completely cut off from the outside environment, it sustained an independent ecosystem; this ecosystem relied for an energy source neither on sunlight and photosynthesis, nor on an external source of organic compounds.