The Environmental Data Center (EDC) is a geographic information system (GIS) laboratory in the
URI Department of Natural Resources Science, College of Environmental and Life Sciences (CELS).
The mission of the EDC is to support the use of contemporary tools of spatial
data processing in the analysis of environmental data. This is achieved
through collaborative research with faculty in the Department of Natural
Resources Science and projects with agencies external to URI.
The EDC is the center
of technical expertise in GIS for the state of Rhode Island.
The Rhode Island Geographic Information System (RIGIS) database is stored at the EDC.
The RIGIS database is the most comprehensive and detailed of any state in the country and contains information on almost all aspects of Rhode Island's natural and cultural resources.
Major areas of research at the EDC are spatial data modeling, ecological mapping, and data integration for environmental applications.