2025 Texas Groundwate Invertebrate Forum - November 7, 2025
The 2025 Forum will take place on the scenic Texas A&M University San Antonio campus, with the Patriot Casa building serving as the event venue. *See map below for directions.
Register Today!......$30 Member (Non-Student) and $20 Student (Refreshments and Lunch Provided):
WANTED: PRESENTATIONS & PHOTO/ART SUBMISSIONS!!
We are looking for potential presenters and posters for the 2025 Texas Groundwater Invertebrate Forum. The oral presentations (15 minutes: 12 minutes + 3 minutes Q&A) and posters (Max size: 36" x 48"). Presentation/Poster sign up here!
First Annual TGIF Photo/Art Contest
Calling all photographers, artists, and creatives!
Help us celebrate the biodiversity of Texas’ underground ecosystems by submitting your best photo, drawing, painting, or digital art inspired by groundwater invertebrates or subterranean life. [Max 2 submissions per person] Copies of work are acceptable and encouraged for display at the Forum.Photo/Art sign up here!
IMPORTANT DATES:
Presentation/Poster Deadline to submit: Monday September 15, 2025 Photo/Art Contest Deadline to submit: November 7, 2025 at check-in (no later than 10:00 am)
| Elizabeth Borda - Texas A&M University San Antonio |
| Fernando Calderon-Gutierrez - Texas A&M University San Antonio |
| Kathryn Perez - University of Texas at Rio Grande Valley |
| Amelia Hunter - USFWS - Southwest Regional Office |
| Randy Gibson - USFWS– San Marcos Aquatic Resources Center |
| Benjamin Hutchins - Edwards Aquifer Research & Data Center |
| Victor Castillo III - Edwards Aquifer Research & Data Center |
2024 TEXAS GROUNDWATER INVERTEBRATE FORUM
The 2024 TGIF Planning Committee would like to thank everyone that attended and presented.
We look forward to TGIF 2025!
2024 Texas Groundwater Invertebrate Forum Presentations and Posters
- Okan Külköylüoğlu. Determining non/homoplasious characters of living non-marine ostracods from groundwater and related aquatic habitats in Texas (USA) (available upon request)
- Gabrielle Vaughn. Insights into subterranean connectivity within the aquifer of the Yucatán Peninsula: Population genetics and distribution of Typhlatya species (pdf)
- Julia Stanford. Learning from and working with groundwater conservation districts (pdf)
- Astrid Schwalb. Groundwater influence on freshwater bivalves in Central Texas streams as a drought refuge (pdf)
- Gary Pandolfi. An overview of the USFWS 3-part recovery planning framework and national recovery planning team (mp4)
- Pete Diaz. Distribution and abundance of federally listed aquatic invertebrates at Diamond Y (pdf)
- Braden West. Extensive culture practices of groundwater invertebrates of the Edwards Aquifer - A 2024 update (pdf)
- Zoey Chanin, K. E. Perez, B. Hutchins, B. Schwartz. Drivers of biodiversity in springs of the Lower Canyons of the Rio Grande (pdf)
- Dean Hendrickson. A quick overview of knowledge relevant to conservation of the North American blind catfishes of the Edwards Aquifer (pdf)
- Andrew Cannizarro.Species boundaries and biogeography of Hyalella spp. (Amphipoda: Hyalellidae) , using ultraconserved elements and traditional genetic markers (pdf)
- Ben Schwartz. Comparison of groundwater fauna across Texas, Australia and Slovenia (pdf)
Posters
- Yamileth Guerrero & Kathryn Perez. Is there a more accurate name for Phreatodrobia coronae (Mollusca:Caenogastropoda)? (pdf)
- Evan Guerrero, Pete Diaz, Kathryn Perez. Synonomy and reassignment of Tryonia diaboli (Mollusca:Caenogastropoda (pdf)
- Vanessa Saenz & Kathryn Perez. Description of new species of hyporheic snails from West Texas (pdf)
- Steve Fend. A new Haplotaxis-like oligochaete from Texas (pdf)
- Sarah Horvath. Husbandry and Growth of Cave Crayfish Cambarus tartarus in the First Year (pdf)
- Sarah McKillop. What lies beneath? Hyporheic invertebrate community structure in southwestern Ohio streams (pdf)
- Fernando Calderon Gutierrez. Using genomic tools to enhance biodiversity assessments in groundwater ecosystems (pdf)
GOAL
To bring together people who are working on subterranean biology so that knowledge and information can be shared and transferred and future efforts to increase knowledge of groundwater ecosystems can be coordinated.
MISSION STATEMENT
The mission of the organizers of TGIF is to encourage collaboration and exchange of ideas and information, and to more efficiently and clearly convey and transfer information to those who need and/or use it.
PROBLEM STATEMENT
A number of people are currently working on Texas groundwater organisms, however, there is infrequent research coordination and information exchange about the diverse projects and ongoing efforts that can cause barriers for those who want to fully understand groundwater biodiversity, promote efficient dissemination, and effectively use the data for research and management purposes.