PRISM Cruises

Dates	From	To	Notes	Participants	Chief Scientists
June 15-19, 1998	Seattle	Seattle	3 WA Dept. of Ecology staff participated	2 grad student 10 undergraduates 2 observers	Kawse, Warner, Newton (WA DOE)
December 16 - 20, 1998	Seattle	Seattle		6 grad students 10 undergraduates 10 observers
June 13 -1 5, 1999	Port Angeles	Seattle		1 grad student 1 undergraduate 2 observers	Kawase
August 15 - 19, 1999	Eureka, CA	Seattle	17 students, included education and HITL	5 grad student 4 undergraduate 1 observer	Newton, Warner
December 19 - 22, 1999	Seattle	Seattle
June 12 - 15, 2000	Seattle	Seattle
December 18- 23, 2000	Seattle	Seattle

PRISM has sponsored cruises on the R/V Thomas G. Thompson with a joint purpose of gathering oceanographic data from Puget Sound and educating/involving students, both graduate and undergraduate, in the collection and analyses of the data. During the cruises, PRISM participants occupy 40 station from South Sound to the Strait of Juan de Fuca, Hood Canal to Whidbey Basin. Students are trained to "run" the station, with each person having a specific role (e.g., sampler, "Water cop", CTD/Computer technician, and analyst). We could not accomplish the volume of work with out the students, so they know directly that they are instrumental in collecting the data. Some students have come out for several cruises, each time selecting a new role. Students have learned which type of oceanographic research interest them.

Data collected: CTD, nutrients, oxygen, chlorophyll/phaeopigment, CFS, productivity, plankton, light. A few others like DIC and stable C isotopes have been done occasionally.

Students are recruited from oceanography classes and general announcements. State and King County agencies have also participated in these cruises to obtain data on water quality. Students get to meet these scientists and many have obtained jobs/internships as a result.

Students receive direct training for marketable skills and know that what they are doing will be useful to others (not just a class exercise). The data rare used for analysis of water quality, ecosystem integrity, and as input data for PRISM models on the physical, chemical and biological aspects of Puget Sound. The data are sorely needed, as comprehensive snapshots such as these do not exist for Puget Sound.