====== The Past ====== More than 10 years ago Tetra Tech developed a data management and analysis system, Ecological Data Application System (EDAS), specifically for the development and interpretation of indices of aquatic biological and physical habitat condition. Developed using Microsoft Access, EDAS is a database and analysis application that calculates biological metrics used for monitoring and assessment, and facilitates the integration and statistical analysis of aquatic ecological data (i.e., biological, chemical, physical, geographical). The first version of the Ecological Data Application System (EDAS) was created with a narrow focus -- to enable a single user to easily manage, aggregate, integrate, and analyze primarily aquatic biological data to make informed decisions regarding the condition of water resources. It was designed to facilitate data analysis, particularly the calculation of biological metrics and indices. While EDAS was focused on individual department users, many existing users mention that the single-user model no longer addresses their needs. They require the ability for many users to access the data repository and for those data assets to participate in modern approaches for data exchange such as Web Services. The original EDAS does not support these needs, nor the volumes or types of data that are common now and are being requested by users. It also does not offer features (and cannot be adapted to) that are found in larger universal data systems. ====== The Present ====== While EDAS was focused on individual departmental users, the redesigned EDAS2 will be a central resource for a larger number of users at the office or regional scale. It will also introduce a new technical platform and much new functionality. EDAS2 will be Web and web-service-based and will be supported by enterprise-class databases such as Oracle, MySQL and SQL Server. The support for central databases provides EDAS2 the ability to offer greater performance, flexibility, and infrastructure support as well options for advanced modules such as mapping and reporting functions. EDAS2 will also become a platform for the planned expansion to provide bi-directional web services of environmental data. EDAS2 will support existing environmental environmental data management standards, such as those from the Environmental Data Standards Council (EDSC) and the EPA WQX v2.0 Schema. ====== The Future ====== The core entities that support EDAS2 are derived from EPA WQX standards and support data contexts beyond aquatic biology. These entities provide preliminary support for many types of environmental data including tissue studies, sediment, well and subsurface, and air data. While the intent of the project is to focus on core needs and to prevent excessive complexity and "bloat", support for these other data is likely to be enhanced depending on the direction of the community. -------

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