Technology
A digital representation of the physical world encompassing terrestrial and marine environments.
Puget Sound science and policy need to be informed by the best available data and research models. The challenge is that complex ecosystems are inherently multidisciplinary, and every scientific discipline has its own conventions for data format and storage, making them opaque to each other. While the information and decision issues confronting Puget Sound are challenging, they are not unique. The recognition of the need for more holistic views is broadening, especially in the last few years. The robust framework for enabling the Virtual Puget Sound (VPS) that PRISM is developing to address these issues is the emergence of a new generation of “Earth System Science,” based on the rapidly evolving capabilities for addressing global change issues. This involves use of satellites, new generations of dynamic computer “ models,” field measurements focused by model requirements covering wide areas, and, especially, a thinking and practice of “integrated systems.
