CEAL (the Center for Ecological Applications of Lidar) is a group of researchers who are investigating the potential of Lidar (Light Detection and Ranging) remote sensing for examining three-dimensional ecosystem spatial structure, and by extension their structural and functional attributes.

CEAL is based at Colorado State University, the organization consists of a network of researchers at institutions such as NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, Oregon State University, the University of New Hampshire, and the USDA Forest Service.