• Home
  • About
    • Board of Directors
    • Staff and Advisors
  • Our Work
    • Research >
      • Animal ID
    • Education
    • Conservation >
      • 4K Videos
      • 4K Video Shorts
      • HD Videos
      • Tropical Wildlife >
        • Bahamas_2020
        • Sea_of_Cortez_2019
        • Solomons_2019
        • Maldives_2018
        • Isla_Guadalupe_2017
        • Sea_of_Cortez_2017
        • Channel_Islands_2015
        • Cabo_2015
        • Sea_of_Cortez_2014
        • Socorros_2013
        • Catalina_2013
  • Blog
  • Get Involved
    • Volunteer
    • Membership
  • Contributions
MADE IN PUGET SOUND
  • Home
  • About
    • Board of Directors
    • Staff and Advisors
  • Our Work
    • Research >
      • Animal ID
    • Education
    • Conservation >
      • 4K Videos
      • 4K Video Shorts
      • HD Videos
      • Tropical Wildlife >
        • Bahamas_2020
        • Sea_of_Cortez_2019
        • Solomons_2019
        • Maldives_2018
        • Isla_Guadalupe_2017
        • Sea_of_Cortez_2017
        • Channel_Islands_2015
        • Cabo_2015
        • Sea_of_Cortez_2014
        • Socorros_2013
        • Catalina_2013
  • Blog
  • Get Involved
    • Volunteer
    • Membership
  • Contributions

Conservation and Animal Identification

'We’ve sacrificed too much nature during our lifetime'

The first and most important part of conserving our wildlife is identifying our wildlife. Made In Puget Sound is working hard to bring rarely seen, and the nearly impossible areas to explore underwater of Puget Sound, to the surface for all. Our researchers and marine biologists continually explore our local waters in ways never before attempted. Our divers, videographers, and drone operators research places that other researchers are unable to explore. 

Sacrificing nature comes at steep cost. Continual population growth brings increasing traffic, pollution, and loss of habitat. Salmon runs, habitats, and populations are down over 90% in less than 100 years. The Southern Resident Orca numbers are falling every decade. We have fewer octopus, vertebrates, invertebrates, and many species that scientists are unable to track. Much of what we need to learn about and report on is out of view and out of reach. 

Below is our catalog of many species found in Puget Sound. We are continually adding more plants and animals to the list.
​We welcome other local explorers to get involved as well.

Also learn from our important underwater research work including videos and still images:
4KVideos 
Video Shorts
HD Videos
Tropical Wildlife Stills

Below is a quick reference to a few of our more popular animals we spot on a regular basis.  ​

All still images below were shot with Canon R5 mirrorless camera in Puget Sound and Hood Canal.
​No animals were touched, moved, staged or harmed during any processes.

Chitons, Bivalves, Nudibranchs, Octopus

Nudibranchs
Most of the animals in these categories are small, usually in shallow water, many have a hard outer shell and a radula (tongue) for scraping the surface to get their food. Nudibranchs do not have eyes. They have a rhinophores with special receptors at the front end of their bodies. When they sense danger, they're withdrawn for safety.
Opalescent Nudibranch (Hermissenda crassicornis)
Barnacle-eating nudibranc (Onchidoris bilamellata)
Opalescent Nudibranch (Hermissenda crassicornis)
Opalescent Nudibranch (Hermissenda crassicornis)
Heath's Dorid (Geitodoris heathi)
Cockerall's Nudibranch (Limacia cockerelli)
Alabaster Nudibranch (Dirona albolineata)
Diamondback Nudibranch (Tritonia festiva)
Striped Nudibranch (Armina Californica)
Hudson's Dorid (Acanthodoris hudsoni)
Multicolor Dendronotid (Dendronotus diversicolor)
Hooded Nudibranch (Melibe leonina)
Hooded Nudibranch (Melibe leonina)
Hooded Nudibranch (Melibe leonina)

Octopuses

There are three types of octopuses in Puget Sound waters. The Giant Pacific, the largest and smartest octopus in the world. The Pacific Red, a small octopus very similar to the GPO. And the Smoothskin. Rarely seen because they only live in the deep and are only seen when they die and wash up on shore.
Giant Pacific Octopus (Enteroctopus dofleini)
Giant Pacific Octopus (Enteroctopus dofleini)
Giant Pacific Octopus (Enteroctopus dofleini)
Pacific Red Octopus (Octopus rubescens)
Pacific Red Octopus (Octopus rubescens)
Pacific Red Octopus (Octopus rubescens)

Vertabrates

Vertebrates have a skeletal structure with a spinal column - backbone. Invertebrates do not have a backbone. Vertebrates also have a well-developed internal skeleton of cartilage and bone and a highly developed brain that is enclosed by a skull. In our waters they can range in size from tiny to very large.
Sculpins
Roughback Sculpin (Chitonotus pugetensis)
Scalyhead Sculpin (Artedius harringtoni)
Padded Sculpin (Artedius fenestralis)
Sailfin Sculpin (Nautichthys oculofasciatus)
Sailfin Sculpin (Nautichthys oculofasciatus)
Scalyhead Sculpin (Artedius harringtoni)
Smoothhead Sculpin (Artedius lateralis)
Cabezon (Scorpaenichthys marmoratus)
Grunt Sculpin (Rhamphocottus richardsonii)
Longfin Sculpin (Jordania zonope)
Pacific Spiny Lumpsuckers
Pacific Spiny Lumpsucker (Eumicrotremus orbis)
Pacific Spiny Lumpsucker (Eumicrotremus orbis)
Pacific Spiny Lumpsucker (Eumicrotremus orbis)
Pacific Spiny Lumpsucker (Eumicrotremus orbis)

Wolf eels, Warbonnets, Gunnels
Decorated Warbonnet (Chirolophis decoratus)
Decorated Warbonnet (Chirolophis decoratus)
Decorated Warbonnet (Chirolophis decoratus)
Mosshead Warbonnet (Chirolophis nugator)
Mosshead Warbonnet (Chirolophis nugator)
Mosshead Warbonnet (Chirolophis nugator)
Wolf Eel (Anarrhichthys ocellatus)
Wolf Eel (Anarrhichthys ocellatus)
Wolf Eel (Anarrhichthys ocellatus)
Penpoint Gunnel (Apodichthys flavidus)
Crescent Gunnel (Pholis laeta)
Red Gunnel (Pholis schultzi)

Sea Stars, Sea Urchins, Sand Dollars, Feather Dusters

These animals are any member of the phylum Echinodermata of marine animals. The adults are recognizable by their radial symmetry, and include  sea stars, sea urchins, sand dollars, sea cucumbers, and others. 

Sea Spiders, Crabs, Shrimps, Barnacles, Sand Dollars

Giant Sea Spider (Nymphon pixellae)
Giant Sea Spider (Nymphon pixellae)
Giant Sea Spider (Nymphon pixellae)
Giant Sea Spider (Nymphon pixellae)
Widehand Hermit (Elassochirus tenuimanus)
Helmet Crab (Cryptolithodes sitchensis)
Northern Kelp Crab (Pugettia producta)
Rhinoceros Crab (Rhinolithodes wosnessenskii)
Rhinoceros Crab (Rhinolithodes wosnessenskii)
Sand Dollar (Dendraster excentricus)

Various animals in Puget Sound, Hood Canal and the Salish Sea

Grunt Sculpin (Rhamphocottus richardsonii)
Pink-mouth Hydroid (Ectopleura marina)
Pacific Tomcod (Microgadus proximus)
Scalyhead Sculpin (Artedius harringtoni)
Crescent Gunnel (Pholis laeta)
White-Ringed Ribbon Worm (Tubulanus albocinctus)
Great Sculpin (Myoxocephalus polyacanthocephalus)
Swimming Scallops (Chlamys hastata)
Stubby Dendronotus (Dendronotus subramosus)
Giant Pacific Octopus (Enteroctopus dofleini)
Slime Star (Pteraster tesselatus)
Heart Crab (Phyllolithodes papillosus)
Bering Hermit (Pagurus beringanus)
Swimming Scallop (Chlamys hastata)

Your Contributions make our work possible

​We’re motivating people to get involved through our innovative technology and research programs
making our Puget Sound region a greener and healthier place to live.
Get Involved
Made In Puget Sound
© Copyright 2018 - 2023
501(c)(3) Nonprofit Agency. Tax-ID number: 82-3386265.
​All contributions are 100% tax deductible. 
  • Home
  • About
    • Board of Directors
    • Staff and Advisors
  • Our Work
    • Research >
      • Animal ID
    • Education
    • Conservation >
      • 4K Videos
      • 4K Video Shorts
      • HD Videos
      • Tropical Wildlife >
        • Bahamas_2020
        • Sea_of_Cortez_2019
        • Solomons_2019
        • Maldives_2018
        • Isla_Guadalupe_2017
        • Sea_of_Cortez_2017
        • Channel_Islands_2015
        • Cabo_2015
        • Sea_of_Cortez_2014
        • Socorros_2013
        • Catalina_2013
  • Blog
  • Get Involved
    • Volunteer
    • Membership
  • Contributions