by Erin Loury, Ichthyology Lab

With only a few hours left in 2009, it’s time for a whirlwind year in review!   Click through to take in some of the great Moss Landing Marine Lab adventures we posted this year at the Drop-In:

It was a year of new discoveries, with Kyle uncovering a deep sea snail with a pregnant foot, and Kelsey describing a new species of black ghost shark.   MLML students explored both polar ends of the earth:  Nate described rough Bering Sea surveys and dizzying seabird symphonies in Alaska, while Amanda observed life aboard a ship in Antarctica.  Kristen also dispatched updates of her own Antarctic adventure, with tales of rounding up penguin chicks and avoiding vomit from other seabirds during surveys.

In warmer climates, Mariah wrote about the case of missing sperm whale teeth in Fiji, while Shelby witnessed coral spawning in Panama. Shaara described the delicate process of ageing a skate, and Erin wrote about trawling for plankton soup, the shifty eyes of flatfish, and the danger of plastic shovels.

Thanks for reading, and we look forward to bringing you even more stories in 2010!