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Seattle Aquarium mammal biologist, Julie Carpenter recently assisted NOAA scientists from the Alaska Fisheries Science Center with their annual research in the Pribliof Islands of Alaska, which are home to breeding colonies (or rookeries) of the northern fur seal.

The morning sun star (Solaster dawsoni) eats its own kind. It can swallow small prey whole, but will evert its large stomach to feed on larger sea stars. So, how does it capture and hold onto sea stars that may be larger than itself?

It’s our newest Octopus rubescens (Pacific red octopus). She is only a few ounces of cephalopod beauty, but her venom packs a punch. According to scientists such as Roland Anderson and Roger Hanlon (author of Cephalopod Behavior), the bite of the red octopus is potent; the painful effects can last for days, weeks, or longer.

Pinto abalone (AKA: Northern abalone), Haliotis Kamtschatkana, have been installed in their own exhibit in Puget Sound Fish. This species is the only abalone native to the Northwest. Never commercially fished, the recreational fishery for them was closed in 1994 because of over-harvesting.

Today the Aquarium celebrated Pike Place Fish's success of reaching their goal to sell 100% sustainable seafood. That means they only sell seafood that is located on the "Best Choices" and "Good Alternatives" lists in the Seafood Watch Guide.

The work doesn’t end once the newly collected fish are packed up and shipped back to Seattle from Honolulu.

On September 17, 2011 thousands of volunteers ventured out to hundreds of shorelines all over the world for the 26th annual International Coastal Cleanup Day. Here in Seattle, it was the last and coldest Saturday of the summer.

Day 6 - Aug 22: Shipping Day — Our first “non-collecting” day of the trip — today we send our first group of animals to Seattle. Since we were not going to a collecting site, we got to sleep in a little — although most of the group was up and moving before 6:30am anyway. Bryan and Alan took the fish that were collected last night (held in coolers in the van overnight) to the Waikiki Aquarium while the rest of us cleaned up the gear and gathered the supplies needed for packing and shipping the animals.

What am I?
I am one of about 60 of what you see in the photo on the left. I may help my possessor see danger nearby or good habitat further off.