NOAA Tides and Currents MCP server for AI agents

The NOAA Tides & Currents MCP Server provides lightning-fast access to NOAA's oceanic and atmospheric data through the Model Context Protocol (MCP). This tool delivers comprehensive data on tides, currents, weather, astronomy, and climate research with over 25 specialized tools.

Installation Options

Quick Install with NPX

# Install and run immediately
npx @ryancardin/noaa-tides-currents-mcp-server

# Or use the shorter alias
npx noaa-mcp

Transport Modes

STDIO Mode (Default - MCP Protocol)

# Standard MCP server for Claude Desktop integration
npx @ryancardin/noaa-tides-currents-mcp-server

# Or use the shorter alias
npx noaa-mcp

HTTP Streamable Mode (Web Integration)

# Start HTTP server on default port 3000
npx @ryancardin/noaa-tides-currents-mcp-server --http

# Specify custom port
npx @ryancardin/noaa-tides-currents-mcp-server --http --port 8080

# Using shorter alias
npx noaa-mcp --http --port 8080

Claude Desktop Integration

Install directly to Claude Desktop via Smithery:

npx -y @smithery/cli install @RyanCardin15/tidesandcurrents --client claude

Available Tools

Water Data Tools

get_water_levels - Real-time and historical water level data
get_tide_predictions - High/low tide predictions and continuous data
get_currents - Real-time and historical current measurements
get_current_predictions - Current speed and direction forecasts
get_meteorological_data - Wind, air temp, water temp, pressure, etc.
get_stations - Search and list monitoring stations
get_station_details - Detailed station metadata and capabilities

Climate & Research Tools

get_sea_level_trends - Long-term sea level rise trends and rates
get_extreme_water_levels - Statistical analysis of extreme events
get_high_tide_flooding_daily - Daily flood event counts
get_high_tide_flooding_monthly - Monthly flooding patterns
get_high_tide_flooding_seasonal - Seasonal flood analysis
get_high_tide_flooding_annual - Yearly flooding trends
get_high_tide_flooding_projections - Future flood risk scenarios
get_high_tide_flooding_likelihoods - Daily flood probability
get_top_ten_water_levels - Highest/lowest water levels on record

Astronomy Tools

get_moon_phase - Current moon phase and illumination
get_moon_phases_range - Moon phases over date ranges
get_next_moon_phase - Find next new/full/quarter moons
get_sun_times - Sunrise, sunset, dawn, dusk times
get_sun_times_range - Solar times over date ranges
get_sun_position - Real-time sun azimuth and elevation
get_next_sun_event - Next sunrise, sunset, or solar noon

Configuration Tools

get_parameter_definitions - Valid values for all API parameters

Usage Examples

Get Current Tide Conditions

# Get latest water levels for Boston Harbor
get_water_levels station="8443970" date="latest"

# Get today's tide predictions for Miami
get_tide_predictions station="8723214" begin_date="today" end_date="today" interval="hilo"

Hurricane Preparedness

# Get extreme water level statistics for storm planning
get_extreme_water_levels station="8518750" units="english"

# Check flooding likelihood for tomorrow
get_high_tide_flooding_likelihoods station="8518750" date="2024-12-16" threshold="minor"

Climate Research

# Analyze 30-year sea level trends
get_sea_level_trends station="8518750" affiliation="US"

# Get high tide flooding projections for 2050s under intermediate sea level rise
get_high_tide_flooding_projections station="8518750" scenario="intermediate" decade="2050s"

Astronomy & Navigation

# Get tonight's moon phase for navigation
get_moon_phase date="2024-12-15" latitude="42.3601" longitude="-71.0589"

# Calculate sunrise/sunset for sailing
get_sun_times date="2024-12-15" latitude="25.7617" longitude="-80.1918" timezone="America/New_York"

Fishing & Recreation

# Best fishing times with current predictions
get_current_predictions station="ACT0446" date="today" interval="MAX_SLACK"

# Wind and weather conditions
get_meteorological_data station="8443970" product="wind" date="today"

Advanced Usage

HTTP Stream Integration

When running in HTTP mode, the server provides Server-Sent Events (SSE) at /sse:

# Start HTTP server
npx @ryancardin/noaa-tides-currents-mcp-server --http --port 3000

# Test the endpoint
curl -N http://localhost:3000/sse

Data Formats & Export

All tools support multiple output formats:

JSON (default) - Perfect for programmatic use
XML - Legacy system integration
CSV - Direct spreadsheet import

Global Station Coverage

13,000+ stations worldwide
Real-time data from NOAA's CO-OPS network
Historical records dating back decades
Global tide predictions and current forecasts

How to install this MCP server

For Claude Code

To add this MCP server to Claude Code, run this command in your terminal:

claude mcp add-json "noaa-tidesandcurrents-mcp" '{"command":"npx","args":["-y","@RyanCardin15/tidesandcurrents"]}'

See the official Claude Code MCP documentation for more details.

For Cursor

There are two ways to add an MCP server to Cursor. The most common way is to add the server globally in the ~/.cursor/mcp.json file so that it is available in all of your projects.

If you only need the server in a single project, you can add it to the project instead by creating or adding it to the .cursor/mcp.json file.

Adding an MCP server to Cursor globally

To add a global MCP server go to Cursor Settings > Tools & Integrations and click "New MCP Server".

When you click that button the ~/.cursor/mcp.json file will be opened and you can add your server like this:

{
    "mcpServers": {
        "noaa-tidesandcurrents-mcp": {
            "command": "npx",
            "args": [
                "-y",
                "@RyanCardin15/tidesandcurrents"
            ]
        }
    }
}

Adding an MCP server to a project

To add an MCP server to a project you can create a new .cursor/mcp.json file or add it to the existing one. This will look exactly the same as the global MCP server example above.

How to use the MCP server

Once the server is installed, you might need to head back to Settings > MCP and click the refresh button.

The Cursor agent will then be able to see the available tools the added MCP server has available and will call them when it needs to.

You can also explicitly ask the agent to use the tool by mentioning the tool name and describing what the function does.

For Claude Desktop

To add this MCP server to Claude Desktop:

1. Find your configuration file:

macOS: ~/Library/Application Support/Claude/claude_desktop_config.json
Windows: %APPDATA%\Claude\claude_desktop_config.json
Linux: ~/.config/Claude/claude_desktop_config.json

2. Add this to your configuration file:

{
    "mcpServers": {
        "noaa-tidesandcurrents-mcp": {
            "command": "npx",
            "args": [
                "-y",
                "@RyanCardin15/tidesandcurrents"
            ]
        }
    }
}

3. Restart Claude Desktop for the changes to take effect