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February 14, 2017 Blog post: Unlike most sea urchins, which are round, heart urchins appear heart-shaped, elongate with a small depression at one end for the mouth.

https://ecology.wa.gov/blog/february-2017/eyes-under-puget-sound-critter-of-the-month-the-h

These worms are boring! ... into oyster shells, that is

September 26, 2021 Blog post: Shell-boring worms make their homes in mollusc shells. These parasites are sometimes called mud blister worms, because the burrows that they create inside the shells fill with mud and detritus.

https://ecology.wa.gov/blog/september-2021/these-worms-are-booooring-into-oyster-shells-that

Bad blood? More like "mad love" for the Pacific blood star

October 25, 2023 Blog post:

With its bright coloring, the Pacific blood star Henricia leviuscula is a recognizable sight in rocky tide pools. Read on to learn about the crimson critter with a few tricks up its spindly sleeves.

https://ecology.wa.gov/blog/october-2023/more-mad-love”-than-bad-blood”-for-the-pacific-blood-star

Brighten your holiday season with the northern opalescent nudibranch

December 11, 2019 Blog post: This month’s aquatic critter looks like a luminous holiday spirit carrying dozens of flickering candles. Definitely don’t try this at home, no matter how festive the effect might be!

https://ecology.wa.gov/blog/december-2019/brighten-your-holiday-season-with-the-northern-opa

Sound-to-table? The sweet potato sea cucumber is a produce impersonator

October 11, 2016 Blog post: With its smooth, plump body, this month’s critter bears a resemblance to items you might find in a grocery store. Meet Molpadia intermedia, the Sweet Potato Sea Cucumber.

https://ecology.wa.gov/blog/october-2016/eyes-under-puget-sound-critter-of-the-month-swee

Get winterized with the frost-spot corambe

December 2, 2016 Blog post: The frost-spot corambe is a beautiful sea slug with frosty white speckles that seem to glow as if it just swallowed a set of twinkly lights.

https://ecology.wa.gov/blog/december-2016/eyes-under-puget-sound-critter-of-the-month-the

What the shell? The tusk shells are in a class all their own

December 13, 2017 Blog post: Tusk shells belong to the Class Scaphopoda, meaning boat foot. In contrast to a real elephant's ivory tusk, a scaphopod's conical shell is open on both ends.

https://ecology.wa.gov/blog/december-2017/eyes-under-puget-sound-the-tusk-shells

My heart will go on: the humble heart cockle lives long and prospers

February 14, 2019 Blog post: The heart cockle is a bivalve named for its heart-shaped profile. They are the largest cockles on the west coast, reaching almost 6 inches in length.

https://ecology.wa.gov/blog/february-2019/eyes-under-puget-sound-critter-of-the-month-the

Stuck at home? Get cozy like the tunicate amphipod

April 23, 2020 Blog post: Meet the tunicate amphipod, a critter that embraces the comforts of home like no other.

https://ecology.wa.gov/blog/april-2020/stuck-at-home-get-cozy-like-the-tunicate-amphipod

It’s slime time! The slime tube worm lives in a house of horrors

October 26, 2021 Blog post: Sliiiime. Just saying the word conjures up images of monsters from scary movies like The Blob, The Thing, and Ghostbusters. But to the slime tube worm, all this ooze looks like Home Sweet Home.

https://ecology.wa.gov/blog/october-2021/it-s-slime-time-the-slime-tube-worm-lives-in-a-hou

Get ready to "fall" for the orange sea pen

September 29, 2017 Blog post: The orange sea pen resembles a colorful autumn tree waving in the breeze of moving water currents.

https://ecology.wa.gov/blog/september-2017/eyes-under-puget-sound-critter-of-the-month-the

This creeping pedal sea cucumber might just give you the creeps!

October 30, 2019 Blog post: Move over, bats and spiders! With its blood-red tentacles and scaly body, the creeping pedal sea cucumber might just be the next creature to haunt your Halloween nightmares.

https://ecology.wa.gov/blog/october-2019/this-creeping-pedal-sea-cucumber-might-just-give-y

Moss animals: Animals in plant disguises!

March 28, 2019 Blog post: Bryozoans take on many different growth forms that provide habitat and shelter for juvenile fish and invertebrates. Some resemble fans or lace, while others appear more geometric.

https://ecology.wa.gov/blog/march-2019/moss-animals-animals-in-plant-disguises

The solitary pink-mouth hydroid keeps it together (at a distance)

May 20, 2020 Blog post: The solitary pink mouth hydroid demonstrates that it might just be possible to embrace togetherness – at a safe distance.

https://ecology.wa.gov/blog/may-2020/the-solitary-pink-mouth-hydroid-keeps-it-together

Another day, another (Pacific sand) dollar

August 25, 2021 Blog post: If you escaped to the Washington’s coastline this summer to beat the heat, you probably walked by the remains of this month’s critter: the Pacific sand dollar.

https://ecology.wa.gov/blog/august-2021/another-day-another-pacific-sand-dollar

Where there’s a quill, there’s a way: The slender sea pen

March 2, 2016 Blog post: This month's critter looks a lot like an old fashioned-feather quill pen and is fittingly named Stylatula elongata, the sea pen.

https://ecology.wa.gov/blog/march-2016/eyes-under-puget-sound-critter-of-the-month-slen

It ain’t easy being green…unless you’re a kelp humpback shrimp

March 16, 2020 Blog post: Top o’ the morning to you! Take a lesson in wearing green from the kelp humpback shrimp, who woke up dressed and ready in its Irish best.

https://ecology.wa.gov/blog/march-2020/it-aint-easy-being-green-unless-youre-a-kelp

The British Columbian Doto: Just another Northwest slug?

March 21, 2016 Blog post: The Doto is a species of sea slug, also known as a nudibranch. It is a marine gastropod in the family Dotidae.

https://ecology.wa.gov/blog/march-2016/eyes-under-puget-sound-critter-of-the-month

Size matters — What can we learn from biomass and size classification?

July 19, 2018 Blog post: We're studying benthic invertebrate biomass (critter size) for the first time on a large scale in Puget Sound.

https://ecology.wa.gov/blog/july-2018/eyes-under-puget-sound-size-matters-what-can-we

The seed shrimp are more than meets the eye

April 1, 2016 Blog post: This month we bring you an entire group of nifty little critters collectively known as the ostracods, or seed shrimp.

https://ecology.wa.gov/blog/april-2016/eyes-under-puget-sound-critter-of-the-month-the-se

Life’s a beach for the false sandcastle worm

August 25, 2020 Blog post: With its beachy name and sandy dwelling, the false sandcastle worm is the quintessential beach bum.

https://ecology.wa.gov/blog/august-2020/life-s-a-beach-for-the-false-sandcastle-worm

Resilience and the purple sea urchin

May 25, 2021 Blog post: Purple urchins aren't just faceless purple pincushions — they may have a thing or two to teach us about resilience in the face of challenges.

https://ecology.wa.gov/blog/may-2021/resilience-and-the-purple-sea-urchin

Going nuts over the peanut worms

January 18, 2018 Blog post: Peanut worms belong to the phylum Sipuncula, meaning "little tube or siphon." They can retract their bodies into a tubular trunk like a balled up pair of socks.

https://ecology.wa.gov/blog/january-2018/eyes-under-puget-sound-critter-of-the-month-the

The voucher sheet project

March 3, 2017 Blog post: A voucher sheet is a document that contains descriptions and photos of a species. We create these to identify the critters we monitor and to help other scientists doing similar work.

https://ecology.wa.gov/blog/march-2017/eyes-under-puget-sound-the-voucher-sheet-project

Making progress on air pollution

January 24, 2018 Blog post:

Pierce county's air was unhealthy prior to 2015 but by working together, it now meets air quality standards.

https://ecology.wa.gov/blog/january-2018/making-progress-on-air-pollution

Headed to a lake or river today? Look out for blooming harmful algae!

May 24, 2023 Blog post: Once again, it is time to keep an eye out for harmful algae (cyanobacteria) blooms in Washington lakes and rivers. As the weather heats up, these blooms can happen, especially in late summer and fall.

https://ecology.wa.gov/blog/may-2023/headed-to-a-lake-or-river-today-look-out-for-bloom

I scream, you scream, we all scream for ice cream cone worms

July 14, 2017 Blog post: Ice cream cone worms are easily recognized by their distinct cone-shaped tubes that can be up to two inches long.

https://ecology.wa.gov/blog/july-2017/eyes-under-puget-sound;-critter-of-the-month-the

Thrills, spills, and frills: The pink tritonia takes us on a wild ride

February 14, 2022 Blog post: What’s pink, white, and frilly all over? It's the pink tritonia: the walking (or in this case, crawling) embodiment of the excitement — and terror — of blossoming love.

https://ecology.wa.gov/blog/february-2022/thrills-spills-and-frills-the-pink-tritonia-takes

Environmental justice with boots on the ground

May 14, 2024 Blog post:

When I joined a Washington Conservation Corps (WCC) environmental justice crew in October 2023, I knew what environmental justice was but I didn’t know what it looked like in practice.

https://ecology.wa.gov/blog/may-2024/environmental-justice-with-boots-on-the-ground

Smoky siege

September 22, 2020 Blog post:

A look back at the record-breaking wildfire smoke that hit Washington in September 2020.

https://ecology.wa.gov/blog/september-2020/a-smoky-siege