PRISM

Advancing the Integration of research, education, and regional cooperation on the environment of Puget Sound is the mission of Puget Sound Regional Synthesis Model (PRISM), a University of Washington and region-wide initiative, sponsored by the UW's University Initiative Fund (UIF). As a collaborative partnership among University, State, and Federal, and University leaders, the unifying theme of PRISM is understanding the processes and role that water plays in our natural and cultural environment, from the top of mountains to the bottom of Puget Sound. In this era of very broad interest in Puget Sound, PRISM focuses on applying advanced information techniques to very inter-disciplinary issues, ultimately expressed as a Virtual Puget Sound. Through classes and targeted research projects, PRISM connects this Puget Sound science directly with undergraduate and graduate learning. In this spirit, the Virtual Puget Sound can be thought of as an "Earth System Module," where lessons learned here can be applied globally.