December 2024
Danielle Bragg (Graduating Senior) recognized with Academic Distinguished Award Medal by A&M-SA President Hector Ochoa - December 15, 2024!
Borda recognized with Most Influential Mentor Award Medal by by A&M-SA President Hector Ochoa, representing the Department of Natural Sciences.
Our new Dive Safety Program just launched under the leadership of Dive Safety Officer Dr. Calderon-Gutierrez! Check out our website (in progress): A&M-SA Dive Program
November 2024
Borda Lab in the News! Beneath the Surface. A&M SA Today. Written by Sam Boykin, November 20, 2024
Fourth expedition with research team to Quintana Roo, Yucatan Peninsula & Conzumel Island, Mexico: Borda (PI), Dr. Calderon-Gutierrez, and Jairo Arroyave (Universidad Autónoma de Mexico).
New Paper out! Fernando Calderón-Gutiérrez, Jessica M Labonté, Brett C Gonzalez, Thomas M Iliffe, Luis M Mejía-Ortíz and Elizabeth Borda. Cryptic diversity patterns of subterranean estuaries. Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences. 291 (2024): 20241483.
September 2024
Members of the Borda Lab attend and present at the 26th International Conference on Subterranean Biology and 6th International Symposium on Anchialine Ecosystems, Sardinia, Italy: Dr. Fernando Calderon-Gutierrez (postdoc) and Borda (PI).
April 2024
Borda awarded Texas A&M University San Antonio Research Council Grant: Diversity and mitogenomics of Chloeia species (Amphinomidae) from biodiversity hotspots.
Members of the Borda Lab attend and present at the A&M-SA Student Research Symposium, San Antonio, Texas: Gabrielle Vaughn (MS Biology), Danielle Bragg (undergraduate) and Muntadher Mashan (undergraduate). Daniel Bragg - First Place Winner - Undergraduate Oral Presentation!
Members of the Borda Lab attend and present at the inaugrual 3-Minute Thesis Competition, San Antonio, Texas: Gabrielle Vaughn (MS Biology), Bernard Mbithi (MS Biology). Bernard Mbithi - Peoples Choice Award!!
Members of the Borda Lab attend and present at the Ecology Integration Symposium, College Station, Texas: Dr. Fernando Calderon-Gutierrez (postdoc), Gabrielle Vaughn (MS Biology), Danielle Bragg (undergraduate) and Muntadher Mashan (undergraduate).
March 2024
Borda notified of promotion to Associate Professor (Starting September 1, 2024).
February 2024
Third expedition with research team to Quintana Roo, Yucatan Peninsula & Conzumel Island, Mexico: Borda (PI), Dr. Joan Bernhard (PI), Dr. Calderon-Gutierrez, Shari Rohret (PhD Candidate, WHOI/MIT), and Beatriz Yanez Rivera (Universidad Autónoma de Mexico - Mazatlan)
January 2024
Collaborative grant awarded to Dr. Ashley Teufel (Assistant Professor; PI), Dr. Rodolfo Valdez (coPI) and Borda (coPI) awarded the College of Arts and Sciences Research Grant: Using artificial intelligence to enhance urban ecosystem studies in south San Antonio.
November 2023
New Paper out! Fernández-Lereé CG, Ávila-García A, Sánchez C, Borda E, López-Vivas JM, Huato-Soberanis L, and Gómez-Gutiérrez J. Zenopontonia soror caridean shrimp exhibits dynamical mimicry with sea star host switching. Journal of Experimental Marine Biology and Ecology. 568 (2023) 151936.
August 2023
New Paper out! Calderón Gutiérrez F, Iliffe TM, Borda E, Yañez G and Labonté J. Resilience of the karst subterranean estuary to precipitation impacts. Ecology and Evolution. 13(8): e10415.
Members of the Borda Lab attend and present at the Southwestern Association of Naturalists, San Antonio, Texas: Dr. Fernando Calderon-Gutierrez (postdoc), Max Sahi (undergraduate) and Borda (PI)
Max Sahi (undergraduate) successfully presents his summer research at the CIMA-LSAMP Poster Symposium. San Antonio, Texas.
May 2023
Expedition with Borda Lab member and Kiss Rebreather Exploration team to Sotuta, Yucatan, Mexico: Borda (PI), Dr. Calderon-Gutierrez, Gabrielle Vaughn (MS Biology), and Danielle Bragg (undergraduate)
April 2023
New Paper out! Ávila-García A, Sánchez C, Huato-Soberanis L, Borda E and Gómez-Gutiérrez J. Continuous reproduction causes stable population structure of Sandyella tricornuta (Decapoda: Palaemonidae) epibiont of black coral. Pacific Science 76 (4): 397-410.
February 2023
Second expedition with research team to Quintana Roo, Yucatan Peninsula & Conzumel Island, Mexico: Borda (PI), Dr. Calderon-Gutierrez, Shari Rohret (PhD Candidate, WHOI/MIT), Dr. David Brankovits (coPI, NRCI, Italy), Dr. John Pohlman (USGS), Jake Emmert (Moody Gardens) and Olinka Cores Gardana (Universidad Autónoma Del Estado De Quintana Roo)
January 2023
Members of the Borda Lab attend and present at the 2023 Society for Integrative and Comparative Biology, Austin, Texas: Dr. Fernando Calderon-Gutierrez (postdoc), Gabrielle Vaughn (MS Biology), Grace Tindall (MS Biology), Gabrielle Silva (undergraduate) and Danielle Bragg (undergraduate)
November 2022
Members of the Borda Lab attend and present at the 5th International Symposium on Anchialine Ecosystems, Hilo, Hawaii: Dr. Fernando Calderon-Gutierrez (postdoc), Gabrielle Vaughn (MS Biology), Danielle Bragg (undergraduate) and Borda (PI)
September 2022
Dr. Fernando Calderon-Gutierrez joins the Borda Lab as a Postdoctoral Research Associate, funded by NSF Bio-OCE # 2136322)
First expedition with research team to Quintana Roo, Yucatan Peninsula & Conzumel Island, Mexico: Borda (PI), Dr. Calderon-Gutierrez, Shari Rohret (PhD Candidate, WHOI/MIT), Dr. David Brankovits (coPI, NRCI, Italy), Dr. Alejandro Martinez (NRCI, Italy), Dr. Efrain Chavez-Solis, and Olinka Cores Gardana (Universidad Autónoma Del Estado De Quintana Roo)
August 2022
Borda awarded the College of Arts and Sciences 2021 Excellence in Service Award ($1,000)
May 2022
Fernando Calderon-Gutierrez defends his thesis, Characterizing the ecosystem function and biodiversity in the anchialine caves of the Caribbean Coast of the Yucatan Peninsula and marine caves of Belize, at Texas A&M University at Galveston. Congratulations Dr. Calderon-Gutierrez!
April 2022
New Funding! Borda receives funding from the National Science Foundation, Biological Oceanography Program (NSF Bio-OCE, # 2136322), Collaborative Research: Illuminating Cave Benthos in Subterranean Estuaries- Biodiversity, Ecology, and Role in Coastal Ecosystem Functioning [Lead Institution/Collaboration: Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, Dr. Joan Bernhard & Dr. David Brankovits, coPI]
Members of the Borda Lab attend and present at the A&M-SA Student Research Symposium, San Antonio, Texas: Gabrielle Vaughn (MS Biology), Gabrielle Silva (undergraduate), Danielle Bragg (undergraduate) and Cody Campbell (undergraduate). Gabrielle Vaughn - First Place Winner - Gradue Oral Presentation! Gabrielle Silva - First Place Winner - Undergraduate Oral Presentation!
March 2022
New Paper out! Ballou L, Brankovits D, Chavez-Solis E, Chavez-Diaz J., Gonzalez B, Rohret Salinas A, Liu A, Simoes N, Alvarez F, Miglietta MP, Iliffe T, and Borda E. An integrative re-evaluation of Typhlatya shrimp within the karst aquifer of the Yucatán Peninsula, Mexico. Scientific Reports 12(1): 1-17
November 2021
New Paper out! Müller J, Schumacher A, Borda E, Rouse GW, Bartolomaeus T and Tilic E. “Brittleworms”: Ultra-structure and arrangement of the calcified chaetae of Euphrosine (Amphinomida, Annelida). Invertebrate Biology 140(4): e12353.
July 2021
Lauren Ballou defends her PhD Thesis, Phylogeny and Evolution of Anchialine Species, at Texas A&M University at Galveston. Congratulations Dr. Ballou!
May 2021
Grace Tindall, graduates with a Bachelor of Science in Biology. Master of Science in Biology, Texas A&M University-San Antonio, Fall 2021
Undergraduate, Omar Carrillo, graduates with a Bachelor of Science in Biology, Suma Cum Laude. Master of Science in Biology, University of Texas Rio Grande Valley, Fall 2021
February 2021
New research note out! Stegenga BS, Jarboe A, Stevenson DJ and Borda E. Parasitism of the Two-toed Amphiuma (Amphiuma means Garden) by the macrobdellid leech Macrobdella ditetra Moore. Southeastern Naturalist 20 (1), N1.
Borda awarded TAMUSA College of Arts and Sciences Summer Research Fellowship: NSF Career Grant Proposal Submission – Evolution in the Mayan Underworld: diversity, evolution, and conservation of anchialine cave fauna of the Yucatan Peninsula, Mexico
December 2020
Undergraduate, Nancy Benavidez-Ortega, graduates with a Bachelor of Science in Biology, Suma Cum Laude
November 2020
Undergraduate, Nancy Benavidez-Ortega, is selected is recognized for her presentation with a 2020 SACNAS Student Presenation Award.
Undergraduate, Nancy Benavidez-Ortega, presents collaborative (Cody Campbell and Omar Carillo) poster at ABRCMS
October 2020
Undergraduate, Nancy Benavidez-Ortega, presents collaborative (Cody Campbell and Omar Carillo) poster at SACNAS
September 2020
Undergraduates, Cody Campbell, Omar Carrillo and Grace Tindall, present at the University of Texas San Antonio Earth Symposium
June 2020
New paper out! Ávila-García et al. From five to one: Sandyella species (Palaemonidae) are distinct ontogenetic stages of a single species. Zoologica Scripta 49(4): 488-498
May 2020
Borda awarded TAMUSA College of Arts and Sciences Summer Research Fellowship and Grant: Continuing Research - Evolution in the Mayan Underworld: diversity, adaptation, and gene expression in Typhlatya cave shrimp of the Yucatan Peninsula, Mexico
September 2019
Visiting Researcher, Dr. Jerry Kudenov visits the Borda Lab to collaborate on the morphological evaluation of Amphinomida
May 2019
Visiting Researcher, Efrain Chavez-Solis (UNAM, Sisal), visits the Borda Lab to initiate research on the gene expression and evolution of Typhlatya
March 2019
Fieldwork in Yucatan Peninsula, Mexico and collaboration with Researchers of Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Sisal; Presentation at the 1st International Anchialine Ecosystems Workshop Merida, Mexico
February 2019
New paper out! Siddall et al. Ideating iDNA: Lessons and limitations from leeches in legacy collections. PLOS ONE. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0212226
December 2018
Borda awarded Texas A&M University San Antonio Research Council Grant: Evolution in the Mayan Underworld: diversity, adaptation, and gene expression in Typhlatya cave shrimp of the Yucatan Peninsula, Mexico