Credits and Attributions
WaterDx is built on public science data and open-source software. We thank the agencies, researchers and communities who make them available. Using their data does not mean they endorse WaterDx.
1. Data sources
| Source | What we use it for | Credit |
|---|---|---|
| Copernicus Sentinel-2 (Level-2A imagery, through Microsoft Planetary Computer and Element 84 Earth Search on AWS) | Satellite bloom indices for the free read and the app | Contains modified Copernicus Sentinel data (2015–present). |
| CyFi (Cyanobacteria Finder, DrivenData) | Cyanobacteria estimates for fresh water | Cyanobacteria estimates use CyFi, an open-source tool by DrivenData. |
| NASA POWER | Daily rain, temperature and sunlight | These data were obtained from the NASA Langley Research Center (LaRC) POWER Project funded through the NASA Earth Science/Applied Science Program. |
| NOAA CoastWatch (VIIRS chlorophyll-a, via ERDDAP) | Chlorophyll-a for brackish and salt water | Chlorophyll-a data courtesy of NOAA CoastWatch. |
| EPA StreamCat (via the USGS Network-Linked Data Index) | Watershed land-use context | Watershed metrics from the U.S. EPA StreamCat Dataset (Hill et al. 2016), accessed via the USGS Network-Linked Data Index. |
| Esri World Imagery and World Boundaries and Places | Satellite base map and labels | Imagery: Esri, Maxar, Earthstar Geographics, and the GIS User Community · Labels: Esri. |
| OpenStreetMap / Nominatim | Place search on the free-read map | Search © OpenStreetMap contributors, available under the Open Database License. |
| USGS National Water Information System and USGS Water Data APIs | Stream flow and gauge data | Data from the U.S. Geological Survey, National Water Information System (USGS Water Data for the Nation). Recent data are provisional and subject to revision. |
| SFWMD DBHYDRO | South Florida water-quality and hydrology data | Data from the South Florida Water Management District DBHYDRO database. |
| NOAA NCEI Climate Data Online (GHCN-Daily) | Rain and temperature gauges | Station data from NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information. |
| NOAA National Water Prediction Service | River stage and forecasts | River data from NOAA's National Water Prediction Service. |
| Water Quality Portal | Historical water-quality samples | Data from the Water Quality Portal (National Water Quality Monitoring Council: USGS, EPA and NWQMC); Read et al. 2017. |
| Open-Meteo (ERA5 reanalysis) | Back-up rain data where no gauge exists | Weather data by Open-Meteo.com (CC BY 4.0). Contains modified Copernicus Climate Change Service information. |
| IRLON (Indian River Lagoon Observatory Network) | Estuary sensor data | Data from the Indian River Lagoon Observatory Network (IRLON), FAU Harbor Branch Oceanographic Institute. |
| SCCF RECON (Sanibel-Captiva Conservation Foundation) | Coastal sensor data | Data from the SCCF River, Estuary and Coastal Observing Network (RECON). |
| Florida LAKEWATCH (UF/IFAS) | Lake data imported by users | Lake data from Florida LAKEWATCH, University of Florida/IFAS. |
| SenseStream (Florida Atlantic University collaboration) | Sensor data streams | Sensor data from SenseStream. |
2. Research
Some figures on our site come from peer-reviewed research by our founders and their colleagues:
- Figure adapted from Thackston et al. (2025), Limnology and Oceanography, CC BY 4.0. doi:10.1002/lno.70250
3. Full citations
- Hill, R.A., Weber, M.H., Leibowitz, S.G., Olsen, A.R., and Thornbrugh, D.J. (2016). The Stream-Catchment (StreamCat) Dataset: A Database of Watershed Metrics for the Conterminous United States. Journal of the American Water Resources Association 52(1): 120–128.
- Read, E.K., et al. (2017). Water quality data for national-scale aquatic research: The Water Quality Portal. Water Resources Research 53: 1735–1745.
- Thackston et al. (2025). Limnology and Oceanography. doi:10.1002/lno.70250. Licensed CC BY 4.0.
4. Software and fonts
- Leaflet (BSD-2-Clause) draws our maps and shows its own small credit on each map.
- IBM Plex Sans and IBM Plex Mono through Google Fonts (SIL Open Font License 1.1).
- The WaterDx app is built with many open-source packages. Their licenses and notices are listed in our third-party notices.
5. Contact
Questions about a credit, or want a credit changed? Email [email protected].