Geospatial Scientist
matt.rissing@briwildlife.org

Matt is a geospatial scientist and data analyst who works on projects related to environmental sciences, natural resources, restoration, and data management. His expertise is in using Geographic Information Systems (GIS) for developing spatial analysis approaches to solve challenging problems. Approaches that he works on have led to exhibits for litigation cases, datasets used for assessing programs and rules, and products for data visualization applications.

Since 2011, Matt has worked on Natural Resource Damage Assessment (NRDA) cases where his technical approaches quantify resources and habitat that have been exposed to harmful contamination. He enjoys working within interdisciplinary teams of subject matter experts, where he can bring spatial awareness and creative problem solving to projects. Matt is a telecommuter located in Colorado and joined BRI in 2025.

• James Madison University, 2007 – B.S., Geographic Science, Applied Geographic Information

• Geospatial problem solving
• Raster and vector spatial analysis
• Automation, object-oriented programming, and scripting with Python
• Data engineering, management, and processing
• Spatial data surveys for field data collection with Survey123 and ArcGIS Online
• Cartography

• Technical Report: Wallace, B.P., M. Rissing, D. Cacela, L. Garrison, T. McDonald, B. Schroeder, D. McLamb, B. Witherington, and B. Stacy. 2015. Estimating Degree of Oiling of Sea Turtles and Surface Habitat during the Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill: Implications for Injury Quantification. DWH NRDA Sea Turtle Technical Working Group Report. Abt Associates, Boulder, CO. Prepared for NOAA Assessment and Restoration Division. September 4. Available: https://www.fws.gov/doiddata/dwh-ar-documents/894/DWH-AR0279127.pdf.
• Technical Report: Travers, C., H. Forth, M. Rissing, and D. Cacela. 2015. Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbon Concentrations in the Upper Water Column during the Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill. DWH NRDA Water Column Technical Working Group Report. August 31. Available: https://www.fws.gov/doiddata/dwh-ar-documents/925/DWH-AR0284936.pdf.
• Technical Report: Wobus, C., R. Jones, and M. Rissing. 2015. Estimating the Length of Oiled Marsh Shoreline in Louisiana from the Deepwater Horizon Spill. DWH NRDA Nearshore Technical Working Group Report. August 30. Available: https://www.fws.gov/doiddata/dwh-ar-documents/901/DWH-AR0020834.pdf.
• Technical Report: Travers, C., C. Wobus, J. Morris, C. Lay, M. Rissing, H. Forth, and J. Holmes. 2015. Mortality Estimates of Invertebrates and Early Life Stage Fish, and Other Injury Metrics in the Upper Mixed Layer of the Water Column during the Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill: Technical Report. August 31. Available: https://www.fws.gov/doiddata/dwh-ar-documents/925/DWH-AR0285143.pdf