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MADE IN PUGET SOUND
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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 works very hard to bring the rarely seen and nearly impossible to explore underwater world to the surface for all to see. Our researchers and marine biologists continually explore our local waters in ways never before attempted. Our divers and drones go to places that researchers were not able to go to even a decade a go, in real time. 

Sacrificing nature comes at steep cost. Continual population growth brings increasing traffic, pollution, and loss of habitat. Salmon populations and runs are down over 90% in less than 100 years. The Southern Resident Orca numbers are falling every decade. Fewer octopus, crab species and many more that scientists are not even able to track. Much of what we need to learn about and report on is out or view and out or 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. Please click to view a wealth of information on our 4K Videos page.

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

Chitons, Bivalves, Nudibranchs, Octopus

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 When they sense danger, they're withdrawn for safety.
Nudibranchs
Opalescent Nudibranch (Hermissenda crassicornis)
Opalescent Nudibranch (Hermissenda crassicornis)
Opalescent Nudibranch (Hermissenda crassicornis)
Heath's Dorid (Geitodoris heathi)
Cockerall's Nudibranch (Limacia cockerelli)
Alabaster Nudibranch (Dirona albolineata)

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)
Sailfin Sculpin (Nautichthys oculofasciatus)
Sailfin Sculpin (Nautichthys oculofasciatus)
Smoothhead Sculpin (Artedius lateralis)
Padded Sculpin (Artedius fenestralis)
Wolf eel (Anarrhichthys ocellatus)
Wolf eel (Anarrhichthys ocellatus)
Wolf eel (Anarrhichthys ocellatus)
Scalyhead Sculpin (Artedius harringtoni)
Mosshead Warbonnet (Chirolophis nugator)
Pacific Spiny Lumpsuckers
Wolf eels, Warbonnets, Gunnels and others

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. 
Sand Dollar (Dendraster excentricus)

Shrimps, Crabs, Barnacles, Sea Spiders

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)

Various animals in Puget Sound and Hood Canal

Giant Pacific Octopus (Enteroctopus dofleini)
Grunt Sculpin (Rhamphocottus richardsonii)
Pink-mouth Hydroid (Ectopleura marina)
Red Octopus
Pacific Tomcod (Microgadus proximus)
Dubious Dorid (Palio dubia)
Widehand Hermit (Elassochirus tenuimanus)
Frosted Nudibranch (Dirona albolineata)
Wolf eel (Anarrhichthys ocellatus)
Scalyhead Sculpin (Artedius harringtoni)
Helmut Crab
Longfin Sculpin (Jordania zonope) copy
Diamondback Nudibranch (Tritonia festiva)
Rhinoceros Crab (Rhinolithodes wosnessenskii)
Crescent Gunnel (Pholis laeta)
White-Ringed Ribbon Worm (Tubulanus albocinctus)
Great Sculpin (Myoxocephalus polyacanthocephalus)
Mosshead Warbonnet (Chirolophis decoratus)
Frosted Nudibranch
Swimming Scallops (Chlamys hastata)
Stubby Dendronotus (Dendronotus subramosus)
Brown Irish Lord (Hemilepidotus spinosus)
Red Octopus (Octopus rubescens)
Giant Pacific Octopus (Enteroctopus dofleini)
Slime Star (Pteraster tesselatus)
Heart Crab (Phyllolithodes papillosus)
Bering Hermit (Pagurus beringanus)
Red Octopus
Wolf eel (Anarrhichthys ocellatus)
Giant Pacific Octopus (Enteroctopus dofleini)
Giant Sea Spider (Nymphon pixellae)
Giant Pacific Octopus (Enteroctopus dofleini)
Heath's Dorid (Geitodoris heathi)
Swimming Scallop (Chlamys hastata)

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  • Home
  • About
    • Board of Directors
    • Staff and Advisors
  • Our Work
    • Research >
      • Animal ID
    • Education >
      • Classroom Programs
      • Keystone
      • Deception_Pass
      • Articles
    • Conservation >
      • 4K Videos
      • 4K Video Shorts
      • HD Videos
  • Blog
  • Get Involved
    • Volunteer
    • Membership
  • Contributions