XibaLab

06/05/2026

The fieldwork is only the first part the process to understand the ecological patterns from the underwater caves. During the end of April and May the XibaLab became fully operational and we processed samples collected during multiple years in the caves with multiple collaborators!

Thanks to MS student Danielle Bragg and hard-working undergraduate students we are now waiting for tons of DNA sequencing data to be analyzed!

Special thanks to Liz Borda's Lab!
Stephen F. Austin State University

05/06/2026

At the XibaLab we are proud to announce that Dr. Fernando Calderón Gutiérrez was selected as a member of the Board of Directors of the Karst Waters Institute!

This institute is a non-profit organization focused on the improvement of the fundamental understanding of karst water systems for professionals and the public representing a perfect alignment with the focus of the XibaLab!

05/01/2026

The XibaLab is now working!
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Most of the photos and videos on the projects are usually about the fieldwork, but the reality is that most of the work is behind a pipette or a computer.
Today Danielle Bragg and Dr. Fernando Calderón Gutiérrez realized the first DNA extraction of sediment samples, marking the first lab procedure performed at the XibaLab at Stephen F. Austin State University!
We are now officially fully open!

04/23/2026

Learn more about the fieldwork and origins of the XibaLab in this video published by Lumberjack Impact Stephen F. Austin State University!
The videos discussed during this interview are linked in the comments. Thanks again to Jonathan Bird's Blue World!!

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04/07/2026

Come to hear about the research done in the XibaLab at the SFASU Biology Club!

04/07/2026

This is a great video to check out how underwater caves are mapped!

*Members of the lab are not featured in this video

Jonathan and Todd were hoping to do a dive with world-renown cave explorer Robbie Schmittner...but Robbie forgot his drysuit. So handed them a strange devic...

03/08/2026

The XibaLab is mourning the loss of Dr. Bill Humphreys (left). He was one of the pioneers of biological studies on anchialine caves. Bill was one of the persons that I always looked forward to meeting again on every anchialine conference. Bill will be always remembered as a great human and invaluable researcher.
Our thoughts are with his family and friends.
Rest in peace Bill.

03/04/2026

Congrats to Danielle Bragg for her excellent presentation of a poster at the 2026 Texas Academy of Science conference!!!

01/25/2026

New paper out! In this project we took samples of cave sea stars vomit to better understand the diet of Asterinides. This method was developed by the team in order to allow the study with a minimal impact to the organisms, as opposed to traditional methods that would require sacrificing all the samples.
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Anchialine caves house a vast variety of organisms that support complex ecological relationships among themselves and their environment. The following study was made in the anchialine karst cave El Aerolito, found on Cozumel Island, Quintana Roo, Mexico. It explores the relationship between wall mic...

01/03/2026

The cave El Aerolito is one of the most unique sites with the interaction of endemic cave adapted species with marine organisms that have been able to survive inside the cave environment. El Aerolito is the first underwater cave protected as a national park, but it should not be the only one!
There is always so much to learn about the fauna living in these ecosystems, and it is only possible through interdisciplinary collaborations! In this case, the research work is being done in universities around the world with Arroyave, Borda, Rohret, Brankovits among many other specialist

Thanks Jonathan Bird's Blue World for this great video!
Thanks to Stephen F. Austin State University, Rebreathers USA, exploration program, Research, National Science Foundation (NSF) for all the support!

Jonathan and Todd join cave biologists Fernando Calderon Gutierrez and Jairo Arroyave in a search for new forms of life in Aerolito Cenote on the island of C...