November  Meetings:  Monday, November 17 at SCCWRP, 9:00 am - 3:30 pm.  This  will be another meeting of the Taxonomic Database Group.  It has been  several months since the group last met and we have been busy with Bight '08  field work and Ed 5 activities.  We need to meet to reestablish our  priorities and immediate goals.  One of those goals is to further connect  with Morphbank, the image repository for the taxonomic database.  Deb  Paul from Morphbank will be at the meeting to discuss further developments at  Morphbank supporting our interaction.  Katja Seltmann, also at Morphbank,  could not attend in person, but will be attending the meeting remotely to  provide her input.  There are also Morphbank workshops scheduled at area  labs during the rest of the week.  At these workshops Deb will reacquaint  us with Morphbank and review recent changes to their website.  She will  also provide a tutorial on the spreadsheet bulk image submittal process, which  she and Katja highly recommend for SCAMIT member/lab use.  Workshops are  scheduled for the follows dates and locations:  Tuesday, November 18,  9:00 am - 3:30 pm City of San Diego Environmental Monitoring Lab; Wednesday,  November 19, 9:00 am -3:30 pm LACSD Marine Biology Lab; Thursday, November 20,  9:00 am - 3:30 pm OCSD Environmental and Ocean Monitoring Section.  If  you are not a member of one of those labs and would like to attend one of  these workshops, please contact me at llovell@lacsd.org or (310) 830-2400  X-5613 to inquire about attendance.

December Meeting:  There will be no formal  meeting in December.  Back by popular demand we will be having our  "Annual" Christmas Potluck Party at Cabrillo Marine Aquarium again on  Saturday, December 6th from 5:30-9 pm.  The CMA gift shop will be open  from 6:00 until 7:00 for your holiday shopping.  SCAMIT will provide a  honey baked ham, drinks (sodas, water, coffee), and eating utensils.   Member are asked to bring a side dish to share.  Leslie Harris is being  asked to provide a theme cake for dessert (probably a polychaete!).   There will be a visit from Santa for the younger Scamiteers attending.   If you have never been to this event, it is a lot of fun and a time to catch  up with everyone and their families.  Unfortunately, we will not be able  to bring our own beer or wine this year.  There is a new $350 alcohol  permit fee and we just could not justify that luxury.  Hope to see you  there.  I will be looking for a few volunteers to help set up tables and  chairs at 5:00 and put them away at 9:00.  

January Meeting:  Monday, January 12th -  Amphipod meeting with John Chapman - venue TBD.  Review of his chapter in  Light and Smith's Manual and examination of problem species.   

Monday, February 16th and  possibly the 17th - venue TBD.  One or two day workshop on Caprellids to  be led by Dr. Todd Haney.  Be thinking about your issues with these foul  pods and provide Todd[HaneyT@sagehillschool.org] with your problem resolution  requests.  

Monday and  Tuesday, March 9th and 10th (dates now set) - Two day Cumacean workshop with  Les Watling and Sarah Gerken, venue TBD.  A review of the Light and  Smith's chapter and work on local difficult specimens.   

Additional taxonomic  training meetings recently proposed for each month are being discussed and  considered.  A couple of labs have indicated need and willingness to  support these meetings.  It may take some time to establish meeting  topics, timetables, and leaders.  So stay tuned!!

Worm regards,