Providing information services to the Puget Sound environmental modeling community.

The term ‘datastream’ is a metaphor for a new concept in information sharing. As technology has provided scientists with the means to measure the environment more frequently in both space and in time, we have seen the amount of collected data explode upon the research scene. We are now able to observe many environmental parameters in “real time.” Organizing these data for analysis and maximal access in teaching, interdisciplinary research, and decision making is an increasing challenge in the information sciences.

The datastream metaphor implies data are continuously flowing by all potential users and to utilize any facet of it, users need only to “sink” roots into the channel in order to access the “source” of information. The datastream is dependent upon metadata (complete and open description of data about data) as it matches the metadata of data with the metadata of a user.

PRISM was the initiator of this project. The challenge was first recognized, designed, funded, and initial phases implemented in order that PRISM might begin the integration of various ecosystem models. The concept was subsequently explained by other UW research partnerships such as the Puget Sound Marine Ecosystem Modeling Program (PSMEM), and the Pacific Northwest Center for Oceans and Human Health (PNWOH).