feat: implement external API integration with static tide tables (task 32)
- Add in-memory caching for external API responses (6-hour expiration) - Implement OpenWeatherMap integration for weather data - Create static tide tables for 22 Irish coastal stations - Add tide calculation based on semi-diurnal patterns and lunar cycles - Implement water quality, beach quality, and biodiversity placeholder endpoints - Add comprehensive API documentation (EXTERNAL_API_SETUP.md) - Fix frontend WaterQualityIndicator crash - Remove Redis dependency (using in-memory cache instead) - All external data endpoints functional and tested
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server/EXTERNAL_API_SETUP.md
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server/EXTERNAL_API_SETUP.md
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# External API Setup Guide
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This guide explains how to obtain API keys for the external data integrations and configure them in the Beach Litter Mapping Platform.
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## Overview
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The platform integrates with several external APIs to provide environmental context data:
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- **OpenWeatherMap** - Current weather conditions
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- **WorldTides** - Tide predictions and times
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- **EPA Ireland** - Water quality data (placeholder)
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- **Blue Flag/Beach Quality** - Beach ratings (placeholder)
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## Required API Keys
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### 1. OpenWeatherMap API (Weather Data)
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**Purpose:** Provides current weather conditions including temperature, humidity, wind speed, and weather descriptions.
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**How to Get:**
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1. Go to [OpenWeatherMap](https://openweathermap.org/)
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2. Click "Sign Up" in the top right corner
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3. Create a free account
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4. After signing in, go to your [API Keys page](https://home.openweathermap.org/api_keys)
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5. Copy your default API key (or generate a new one)
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**Free Tier Limits:**
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- 1,000 API calls per day
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- 60 calls per minute
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- Current weather data included
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**Cost:** Free tier available, paid plans start at $40/month for higher limits
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**Add to `.env`:**
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```env
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OPENWEATHER_API_KEY="your_api_key_here"
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```
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**Documentation:** https://openweathermap.org/api
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---
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### 2. Tide Data (Multiple Free Options)
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**Purpose:** Provides tide predictions, high/low tide times, and tide heights for coastal locations.
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**Current Implementation:** Mock data for demonstration purposes
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**Free Alternatives:**
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#### Option A: Stormglass.io (Recommended for Ireland)
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- **Free Tier:** 10 requests per day
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- **Coverage:** Global including Ireland
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- **How to Get:**
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1. Go to [Stormglass.io](https://stormglass.io/)
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2. Sign up for free account
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3. Get API key from dashboard
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- **Documentation:** https://docs.stormglass.io/
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- **Cost:** Free tier: 10 req/day, Paid: $9/month for 10,000 requests
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#### Option B: NOAA Tides & Currents (US Only)
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- **Free:** Unlimited requests
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- **Coverage:** US coastal locations only
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- **No API key required**
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- **URL:** https://api.tidesandcurrents.noaa.gov/api/prod/
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- **Good for:** Testing if you're in the US
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#### Option C: UK Hydrographic Office (UK Only)
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- **Free:** For UK locations
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- **Coverage:** UK coastal areas
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- **URL:** https://admiraltyapi.azure-api.net/
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- **Good for:** If expanding to UK beaches
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#### Option D: Static Tide Tables
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- **Free:** No API needed
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- **Method:** Create a database of Irish tide stations with pre-calculated tables
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- **Source:** Irish Marine Institute or manual entry
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- **Pros:** No API limits, always available
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- **Cons:** Requires manual updates, less accurate
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**Current Setup:**
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The system currently returns mock tide data for demonstration. To enable real data:
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1. Sign up for Stormglass.io free tier
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2. Add API key to `.env`:
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```env
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STORMGLASS_API_KEY="your_api_key_here"
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```
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3. Update `externalDataService.ts` to use Stormglass API
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**Note:** With only 10 free requests per day, consider:
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- Caching aggressively (tide data changes slowly)
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- Using for specific locations only
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- Implementing static tide tables for common beaches
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---
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### 3. Caching
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**Current Implementation:** In-memory caching (no external service required)
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**How it works:**
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- API responses cached for 6 hours
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- Automatic cache expiration
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- No setup required
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**Optional: Redis for Production**
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If you want persistent caching across server restarts:
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**Docker:**
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```bash
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docker run -d -p 6379:6379 --name redis redis:alpine
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```
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**Add to `.env`:**
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```env
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REDIS_URL="redis://localhost:6379"
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```
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Then update `src/config/redis.ts` to use Redis client instead of in-memory cache.
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**Note:** For most use cases, in-memory caching is sufficient.
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---
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## Optional APIs (Placeholder Implementations)
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These APIs are not fully implemented yet but have placeholder endpoints:
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### 4. EPA Ireland Water Quality Data
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**Purpose:** Water quality monitoring data for Irish beaches and coastal areas.
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**Source:** [EPA Ireland Open Data Portal](https://gis.epa.ie/EPAMaps/)
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**Status:** Placeholder implementation - returns mock data
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**Cost:** Free (public data)
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**API Key:** Not required
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**To Implement:**
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- Research EPA's data access methods (may require web scraping or specific API)
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- Contact EPA for API access if available
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- Alternative: Use EU Bathing Water Quality data
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---
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### 5. Beach Quality Ratings (Blue Flag, Green Coast)
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**Purpose:** Beach quality certifications and awards.
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**Sources:**
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- [Blue Flag Ireland](https://www.blueflagireland.org/)
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- [Green Coast Awards](https://www.greencoastawards.ie/)
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- [An Taisce](https://www.antaisce.org/)
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**Status:** Placeholder implementation - returns mock data
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**Cost:** Free (public data)
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**API Key:** Not required
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**To Implement:**
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- These organizations may not have public APIs
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- May require web scraping or manual data entry
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- Could create a static database of certified beaches
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---
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## Configuration
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### Complete `.env` File Example
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```env
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# Database
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DATABASE_URL="mysql://beach_litter_user:BeachClean2024!@192.168.4.20:3306/beach_litter_mapping"
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# Clerk Authentication
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CLERK_SECRET_KEY="sk_test_your_secret_key_here"
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CLERK_WEBHOOK_SECRET="whsec_your_webhook_secret_here"
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# Server
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PORT=3000
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NODE_ENV=development
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# File Upload
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UPLOAD_DIR=./uploads
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MAX_FILE_SIZE=5242880
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# Redis Cache
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REDIS_URL="redis://localhost:6379"
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# External APIs
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OPENWEATHER_API_KEY="your_openweather_api_key_here"
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WORLDTIDES_API_KEY="your_worldtides_api_key_here"
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```
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---
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## Testing the Integration
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After configuring your API keys, test the integration:
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```bash
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# Start Redis (if not already running)
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redis-cli ping
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# Run the test script
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npm run dev
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# In another terminal:
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cd server
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npx tsx src/scripts/testExternalAPIs.ts
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```
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Or test via HTTP:
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```bash
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# Test weather endpoint
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curl http://localhost:3005/api/external/weather/53.3498/-6.2603
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# Test tide endpoint
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curl http://localhost:3005/api/external/tides/53.3498/-6.2603
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# Test all data
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curl http://localhost:3005/api/external/all/53.3498/-6.2603
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```
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---
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## Cache Behavior
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- **Cache Duration:** 6 hours (21,600 seconds)
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- **Cache Keys:** Based on coordinates rounded to 4 decimal places
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- **Fallback:** If Redis is unavailable, API calls work without caching (degraded mode)
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**Cache Key Format:**
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```
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weather:53.3498:-6.2603
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tide:53.3498:-6.2603
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water-quality:53.3498:-6.2603
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beach-quality:53.3498:-6.2603
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```
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---
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## Cost Optimization Tips
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1. **Use Redis Caching:** Reduces API calls by 6 hours per location
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2. **Round Coordinates:** Cache keys use 4 decimal places (~11m precision)
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3. **Monitor Usage:** Check API dashboards regularly
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4. **Rate Limiting:** Implement rate limiting on frontend to prevent abuse
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5. **Lazy Loading:** Only fetch data when user views environmental panel
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---
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## Troubleshooting
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### Weather/Tide Data Returns 503
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**Cause:** API key not configured or invalid
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**Solution:**
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1. Check `.env` file has correct API keys
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2. Verify API keys are active in provider dashboards
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3. Check API key hasn't exceeded rate limits
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4. Restart server after adding keys
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### Redis Connection Errors
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**Cause:** Redis not running or wrong connection URL
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**Solution:**
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1. Verify Redis is running: `redis-cli ping`
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2. Check `REDIS_URL` in `.env`
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3. For Docker: ensure container is running
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4. Check firewall isn't blocking port 6379
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### Data Not Updating
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**Cause:** Cached data still valid
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**Solution:**
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1. Wait for cache to expire (6 hours)
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2. Clear cache manually: `redis-cli FLUSHALL`
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3. Use different coordinates to bypass cache
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---
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## Production Deployment
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### Environment Variables
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Set these in your production environment:
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```env
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NODE_ENV=production
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REDIS_URL="redis://your-production-redis-url"
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OPENWEATHER_API_KEY="your_production_key"
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WORLDTIDES_API_KEY="your_production_key"
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```
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### Recommended Services
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**Redis Hosting:**
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- **Upstash** (Recommended for serverless): https://upstash.com/
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- **Redis Cloud**: https://redis.com/try-free/
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- **Railway**: https://railway.app/
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**API Key Management:**
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- Store keys in environment variables (never commit to git)
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- Use secrets management (AWS Secrets Manager, etc.)
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- Rotate keys periodically
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- Monitor usage and set up alerts
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---
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## Future Enhancements
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1. **EPA Integration:** Implement real EPA water quality API
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2. **Beach Database:** Create static database of Irish beaches with ratings
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3. **Marine Biodiversity:** Integrate with GBIF or similar databases
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4. **Forecast Data:** Add weather forecasts (3-7 days)
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5. **Historical Data:** Store and display historical trends
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6. **Alert System:** Notify users of poor water quality or weather warnings
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---
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## Support
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- **OpenWeatherMap Support:** https://openweathermap.org/faq
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- **WorldTides Support:** support@worldtides.info
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- **Redis Documentation:** https://redis.io/docs/
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