2025 Texas Groundwate Invertebrate Forum - November 7, 2025 (9 am - 4 pm)
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. We will have parking access to LOT 2. Parking Pass-click here. *See Google map below for directions
REGISTRATION PORTAL: Please try to register by October 31, 2025, we will need to submit an estimated count for lunch and to acquire the parking passes. Thank you and look forward to seeing you at the Forum.
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] Electronic copy of photo/ art can be sent for display on the meeting overhead screen. Submit copy to the Photo Contest Link: Photo Contest
IMPORTANT DATES: Photo/Art Contest Deadline to submit: November 7, 2025 at check-in (no later than 10:00 am)
| 9:00 - 9:10 | WELCOME REMARKS - CONFERENCE HOST: Liz Borda | ||||||||||
Session 1 (Oral Presentation) - Moderator: Fernando Calderon Gutierrez | |||||||||||
| 9:10 -9:30 | Okan Külköylüoğlu, Ostracod diversity, disturbance, and conservation of springs and groundwater habitats in the Great Basin and Texas | ||||||||||
| 9:30 - 9:50 | Cecilia Fitzgerald-Cook, Detecting environmental DNA (eDNA) of a keystone crustacean in threatened Hawaiian wetlands. | ||||||||||
| 9:50- 10:10 | Tyler Morgan, Gene flow at the microscale in three endangered animals | ||||||||||
| 10:10-10:30 | Muntadher Mashan, Using genomic tools to enhance biodiversity assessments in karst subterranean estuaries | ||||||||||
| 10:30-10:50 | Gabrielle Vaughn, Population genetics and distribution of Typhlatya species | ||||||||||
| 10:50-11:10 | Coffee Break | ||||||||||
Session 2 (Oral Presentation) - Moderator: Amelia Hunter | |||||||||||
| 11:10-11:30 | Joseph Aubert, Insect diversity in the Hyporheic Zone of Texas rivers | ||||||||||
| 11:30-11:50 | Ramon Villarreal, Investigation of 2 potential new species of Cirolanides, a crustacean (Isopoda) found in the Edwards Aquifer. | ||||||||||
| 11:50-12:10 | Andrew Cannizzaro, Light shining into the darkness: phylogenetic analyses of a hypogean crustacean (Amphipoda: Parabogidiella) reveals unique diversity and structuring | ||||||||||
| 12:10-12:30 | Photo Contest - Moderator: Bernard Mbithi | ||||||||||
| 12:30- 1:40 | Lunch (Cafeteria) | ||||||||||
| 1:40 - 2:40 | Poster Session | ||||||||||
Session 3 (Oral Presentation) - Moderator: Caroline Mierzejewski | |||||||||||
| 2:40 - 3:00 | Katherine Bell, Conservation genetics of Stygobromus in Texas | ||||||||||
| 3:00 - 3:20 | Ruben Tovar, Exploring the utility of diceCT in karst and aquifer taxa | ||||||||||
| 3:20 - 3:40 | Ben Hutchins, The Aquifer Biodiversity Collection at the Edwards Aquifer Research & Data Center | ||||||||||
| 3:40 - 4:00 | Student Awards and Photo Contest Winners - Moderator: Liz Borda | ||||||||||
| 4:00 - 4:15 | CLOSING REMARKS - CONFERENCE HOST: Liz Borda | ||||||||||
| 4:15 - ? | Burleson Yard Beer Garden? Aquaduck Beer Garden?Borda | ||||||||||
| Presenter | Title | Co-Authors | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Evan Guerrero | Influence of the hyporheic zone on gene flow in invertebrates in the Edwards-Trinity Aquifer, Texas. | Dr. Kathryn Perez, Dr. Benjamin Schwartz, Dr. Benjamin Hutchins | ||||||||
| Danielle Bragg | Spatiotemporal analysis of metazoan community from the subterranean estuaries of the Yucatan peninsula and Cozumel island through metagenomics | Dr. Elizabeth Borda, Dr. Fernando Calderon-Gutierrez | ||||||||
| Erika Frandsen | Relationships between benthic and hyporheic insect communities across environmental gradients in Texas rivers | Benjamin F. Schwartz, Benjamin T. Hutchins, Weston H. Nowlin, Todd Swannack, Miranda Sams, Kierra Determan, Kirby Wright, Jessica Kittridge, Catherine Cline | ||||||||
| Connor Grizzle, Marco Rodriguez | Toward Speleogenomic Pipelines: Characterizing Biodiversity from Species to Communities | Marci Casias, Marco Rodriguez, Fernando Calderón-Gutiérrez & Elizabeth Borda | ||||||||
| Kamryn Richard | Work with Ozark Cave Fauna | Danté Fenolio | ||||||||
| Lukas Perez | A second uncoiled phreatic snail (Gastropoda: Cochliopidae) from the Edwards-Trinity aquifer | K.E. Perez, B. Hutchins, B. Schwartz |
Interactive Map for Directions--Click Directions Tab Below
| Elizabeth Borda - Texas A&M University San Antonio |
| Fernando Calderon-Gutierrez - Stephen F. Austin State University |
| 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!
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.