Processing is a programming environment created to develop visually oriented applications with an emphasis on animation and interaction. Originally built as a domain-specific extension to Java, Processing has evolved into a professional tool used for complex data visualization. Publications such as the journal Nature, the New York Times, Seed, and Communications of the ACM have commissioned information graphics created with Processing. Processing was used to produce a large-scale public visualization of pollution levels in Helsinki. The University of Washington's Applied Physics Lab used Processing to create a visualization of a coastal marine ecosystem. Buffalo Geological uses Processing as an important aid to improve data visualization and enhance interpretation.