History of PRISM
PRISM's Unique Achievements in the Past Five Years
The defining theme for PRISM since its onset has been to define the movement of water across the air-, land- and seascape of the Puget Sound basin. Our goals are to predict the dynamics of water and its associated biology and chemistry under natural and anthropogenically modified conditions, and to convey this information to multiple users in a timely fashion. Our central vehicle is the Virtual Puget Sound (VPS), which is a “laboratory and classroom without walls, capable of traveling in time and space.” We have learned a great deal about how to execute this vision, and how to proceed from the technical details of model development to engaging a broad community. Over the last 5 years, we have made significant progress towards:
Developing a viable and functional VPS. We recognized that a VPS is both a technical and cultural challenge, that must be able to engage and portray results to multiple users of diverse backgrounds and requirements. Accordingly, we have developed:
- A Strategic Monitoring capability: Twice-annual cruises throughout Puget Sound, monthly cruises across the entrance to the Sound, and high-frequency profiles at select locations via ORCA provide the boundary and initialization conditions for running the marine models. Similarly, multiple climate and land data sets drive terrestrial models.
- Synoptic Modeling: Sophisticated models of circulation (POM) coupled to marine biogeochemistry (ABC), driven by output from a climate model (MM5) describe marine dynamics. The system is now approaching the capability of running continuously. Similarly, MM5 drives short-term applications of the surface hydrology model, DHSVM, describing water movement in today’s climate. Climate forecast models drive DHSVM for water resource forecasting. Habitat and water movement in turn provide input to the SHIRAZ salmon models. A next-generation terrestrial model framework VSB is being developed.
- Integration: The requirements of constructing and utilizing the results of these complex observational and modeling systems required the development of a sophisticated “cyber-Infrastructure.”
Developing regional partnerships. A critical part of our original portfolio was to actively engage entities across Puget Sound. Our active partnerships now include (and extend beyond) the
- Hood Canal Dissolved Oxygen Program (HCDOP)
- Northwest Association of Networked Ocean Observing Systems (NANOOS)
- Puget Sound Ambient Monitoring Program (PSAMP)
- Joint Effort to Monitor the Strait of Juan de Fuca (JEMS)
- Puget Sound-wide Ecosystem Research and Management
- NOAA Puget Sound Salmon SHIRAZ
- King County
- State Department of Health
Developing the Classroom and Experiential learning. Education plays a fundamental role in PRISM, through
- Undergraduate and graduate students have been involved through participation in PRISM cruises, and by working on specific elements of the models.
- Classes have incorporated results, which are used in turn to develop key elements of the program. For example, a 2002 class on salmon habitat modeling led to a series of partnerships with NOAA. The next-generation VSB will be used this Winter, in Ocean 582, “River Basin Biogeochemistry.”
- The long-awaited PRISM Advanced Classroom will become a reality through Ocean/Environment 260, “The Puget Sound Ecosystem”.