* The Complete Sea Angler's Guide (1970)
* Atlantic Sailfish (1975)
* Natural History of Fishes (1976)
* Sharks: Fact and Fantasy (1978)
* Marine Fishes of Southern California (1979)
* The Ocean: A Natural History (1980)
* Pacific Ocean Perch: A Multidisciplinary Approach (1982)
* Marine Mammals of Puget Sound and Northwest Washington (1982)
* Whales and Men (1984)
* Fishes of the Northern Pacific (1986)
* The Pacific Coast (1989)
* The Northwest Coastal Waters: A Guide for Sailors, Mariners, and Naturalists (1991)
* Ichthyology (1992)
* The North Pacific Ocean (1993)
* The State of the Oceans: A Report from the United Nations (1995)
* Marine Protected Areas: A Toolkit for Managers (1995)
* The Oceans (1997)
* Fish and Water: A Natural History (1998)
* The Life of a Fish (2000)
* The Sea Otter (2002)
* Oceans: A Pictorial History (2003)
* The World Beneath: The Story of Ocean Exploration (2005)
* Life in the Oceans: Diversity, Abundance, and Conservation (2007)
* The Pacific Ocean: A Natural History (2010)
* The Gulf of Alaska: Biology, Oceanography, and Fisheries (2012)
* The Atlantic Ocean: A Natural History (2014)
* The Indian Ocean: A Natural History (2016)
* The Arctic Ocean: A Natural History (2018)
* The Southern Ocean: A Natural History (2020)
Articles and Papers
James L. Sagarin has published over 100 articles and papers in scientific journals and magazines, including:
* "The distribution and abundance of the rockfish, Sebastes diploproa, off the coast of Oregon." (1978)
* "Fishery biology and management of the Pacific ocean perch, Sebastes alutus, in the central and western Gulf of Alaska." (1981)
* "The effects of fishing on the life history of the red sea urchin, Strongylocentrotus franciscanus." (1982)
* "The importance of marine protected areas for the conservation of marine fishes." (1985)
* "The population biology of the California halibut, Paralichthys californicus." (1987)
* "The effects of climate change on marine fish populations." (1990)
* "The conservation status of marine mammals in the North Pacific Ocean." (1992)
* "The role of marine protected areas in the conservation of coral reefs." (1995)
* "The oceanography and fisheries of the North Pacific Ocean." (1998)
* "The future of ocean exploration." (2000)
Popular Science Books
* Oceans: A Pictorial History (2003)
* The World Beneath: The Story of Ocean Exploration (2005)
* Life in the Oceans: Diversity, Abundance, and Conservation (2007)
Children's Books
* The First Voyage: A Story of Christopher Columbus (1992)
* The Amazing Adventures of Captain Cook: Explorer of the South Seas (1993)
* Ferdinand Magellan: The First Voyage Around the World (1994)
Awards and Recognitions
* University of Washington Distinguished Teaching Award (1985)
* Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (1986)
* Aldo Leopold Award from The Wildlife Society (1990)
* Lifetime Achievement Award from the American Fisheries Society (2000)
* National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Ocean Explorer of the Year (2005)