Low Tide Adventure. Seattle, Washington

Ochre Stars

One of the most abundant and frequently seen creatures is the ochre sea star (Pisaster ochraceus). These can typically be observed underneath and in the crevices of rocks where they can remain hidden from sunlight. Be careful not to move any rocks in your search as you may harm unseen organisms in and around them. In Puget Sound purple ochre sea stars are most common though you may see an occasional orange colored variation.

Pacific Blood Stars

Bright orange or red in color, pacific blood stars have five slender arms and a rough texture with fewer visible bumps than an ocher sea star. You can also find these guys tucked in between the rocks, often precariously dangling from a surface.

Tunicates

Chain tunicates (Botrylloides violaceus) are incredibly abundant in Puget Sound and are pervasive throughout Myrtle Edwards Park. Quite simply, these colonies of organisms take on the appearance of a bumpy patch of brightly colored snot. Upon close examination you can spot the delineation of individuals, covered by a slimy sheath or "tunic". These little guys began their life as free-floating vertebrate creatures that settled down in a group and colonized. Non-native to the Americas, chain tunicates are considered an invasive species to Puget Sound. They appear in any color of the spectrum, however I have only observed purple, yellow and orange chain tunicates. These can be spotted pretty much anywhere the rocks and water meet.

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I've had the pleasure of finding one bristly tunicate down here. Unlike chain tunicates, bristly tunicates are a single organism. It resembles a berry growing from the rock.

Chiton

Chiton are found all over this beach, adhering to rocky surfaces. They can easily be missed as they tend to blend in with their surroundings. A close examination of a chiton will often reveal delicate, striking color. I am not adept at distinguishing the species of chiton in Puget Sound.

Nudibranch Egg Ribbon

These sea slug eggs stumped me when I first saw them, dangling underneath a rock. They are distinctly different from tunicate and sponges, yet appeared to be a similar organism. I do not know what type of sea slug laid them or if they are even identifiable from the photograph alone. It is unlikely that you will find these during low tide, however they provide an example of one of the many unusual things you may encounter. 

Leather Stars

Leather stars (Dermasterias imbricata) are less commonly found in tide pools as they prefer to remain deeper in the inter-tidal zone. They look and feel both softer and slimier than ocher or blood stars. Their arms have a more webbed appearance and are white below their distinctive orange-red surface. You'll find the occasional leather star at the lowest of tides, clinging to the rocks.

Anemones

The anemone scene isn't really happening down at Myrtle Edwards Park, but what little you do see can be rather grand. Large, individual anemones can be found dangling from the underside of rocks. They appear as rounded, droopy blobs in various colors when out of the water. To appreciate their full majesty, look for anemones in the water where they can fully expose their tentacles. Painted anemones (Urticina grebelnyi) have been observed here with the occasional cluster of aggregating anemone (Anthopleura elegantissima).

Chiton

Chiton are found all over this beach, adhering to rocky surfaces. They can easily be missed as they tend to blend in with their surroundings. A close examination of a chiton will often reveal delicate, striking color. I am not adept at distinguishing the species of chiton in Puget Sound.

Purple Encrusting Sponge 

From a distance, the purple encrusting sponge can look similar to tunicate colonies. Up close you should have no trouble distinguishing it. This sponge can be found on any rocky surface below the tide line, frequently sharing space with tunicate colonies. Most organisms I observe in the Pacific Northwest have a good deal of accessible information about them, but there appears to be little written about this sponge.