LocalTides MCP Server
This server provides tools for interacting with the NOAA Tides and Currents API, enabling access to water level data, tide predictions, currents data, station information, and astronomical information like moon phases and sun times.
README Documentation
🌊 NOAA Tides & Currents MCP Server
🚀 Lightning-fast access to NOAA's oceanic and atmospheric data through MCP
Your one-stop solution for tides, currents, weather, astronomy, and climate data
✨ What Makes This Awesome
🌊 25+ Specialized Tools - From basic tide data to advanced climate projections
⚡ Lightning Fast - Built on FastMCP for optimal performance
🎯 Zero Config - Works out of the box with Claude Desktop
🌍 Comprehensive Data - Water levels, currents, weather, moon phases, sun data
📊 Climate Research Ready - Sea level trends, flooding projections, extreme events
🚀 NPX Ready - Install and run with a single command
🚀 Quick Start
⚡ NPX Installation (Recommended)
# Install and run immediately - no setup required!
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
# Access via Server-Sent Events
curl http://localhost:3000/sse
🎯 Claude Desktop Integration
Install directly to Claude Desktop via Smithery:
npx -y @smithery/cli install @RyanCardin15/tidesandcurrents --client claude
🔧 Manual Development Setup
# Clone and build
git clone https://github.com/RyanCardin15/NOAA-Tides-And-Currents-MCP.git
cd NOAA-Tides-And-Currents-MCP
npm install && npm run build
# Start the server
npm start
# Test with FastMCP
npx fastmcp dev dist/index.js
🛠️ Available Tools
🌊 Water Data Tools (6 tools)
Water Levels & Tides
get_water_levels
- Real-time and historical water level dataget_tide_predictions
- High/low tide predictions and continuous dataget_currents
- Real-time and historical current measurementsget_current_predictions
- Current speed and direction forecastsget_meteorological_data
- Wind, air temp, water temp, pressure, etc.
Station Information
get_stations
- Search and list monitoring stationsget_station_details
- Detailed station metadata and capabilities
🔬 Climate & Research Tools (9 tools)
Sea Level Analysis
get_sea_level_trends
- Long-term sea level rise trends and ratesget_extreme_water_levels
- Statistical analysis of extreme events
High Tide Flooding Analysis
get_high_tide_flooding_daily
- Daily flood event countsget_high_tide_flooding_monthly
- Monthly flooding patternsget_high_tide_flooding_seasonal
- Seasonal flood analysisget_high_tide_flooding_annual
- Yearly flooding trendsget_high_tide_flooding_projections
- Future flood risk scenariosget_high_tide_flooding_likelihoods
- Daily flood probability
Historical Extremes
get_top_ten_water_levels
- Highest/lowest water levels on record
🌙 Astronomy Tools (7 tools)
Moon Phase Calculations
get_moon_phase
- Current moon phase and illuminationget_moon_phases_range
- Moon phases over date rangesget_next_moon_phase
- Find next new/full/quarter moons
Solar Calculations
get_sun_times
- Sunrise, sunset, dawn, dusk timesget_sun_times_range
- Solar times over date rangesget_sun_position
- Real-time sun azimuth and elevationget_next_sun_event
- Next sunrise, sunset, or solar noon
⚙️ Configuration Tools (1 tool)
API Parameters
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
🔧 Development & Testing
# Run in development mode (stdio)
npm run dev
# Development with HTTP transport
npm run dev:http
# Production builds with different transports
npm start # STDIO mode (default)
npm run start:http # HTTP on port 3000
npm run start:http:3001 # HTTP on port 3001
npm run start:http:8080 # HTTP on port 8080
# Inspect server capabilities
npx fastmcp inspect dist/index.js
🌐 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
# Or integrate with web applications
fetch('http://localhost:3000/sse')
.then(response => response.body.getReader())
.then(reader => {
// Handle streaming MCP responses
});
Use Cases for HTTP Mode:
- 🌐 Web Applications - Integrate with React, Vue, Angular apps
- 📱 Mobile Apps - REST-like access from mobile applications
- 🔗 API Gateways - Proxy through load balancers or API gateways
- 🧪 Testing - Easy curl-based testing and debugging
📊 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
🚦 API Endpoints
This server integrates with three NOAA APIs:
API | Purpose | Base URL |
---|---|---|
Data API | Real-time observations & predictions | api.tidesandcurrents.noaa.gov/api/prod/ |
Metadata API | Station information & capabilities | api.tidesandcurrents.noaa.gov/mdapi/prod/ |
Derived Products API | Climate analysis & research data | api.tidesandcurrents.noaa.gov/dpapi/prod/ |
🛠️ Technical Details
Architecture
- 🚀 FastMCP Framework - High-performance MCP server
- 📝 TypeScript - Full type safety and IntelliSense
- 🔧 Zod Validation - Runtime parameter validation
- ⚡ Axios HTTP Client - Reliable API communication
- 🌙 SunCalc Integration - Precise astronomical calculations
Transport Options
- 📡 STDIO Transport - Standard MCP protocol for desktop clients
- 🌐 HTTP Stream Transport - Server-Sent Events for web integration
- 🔄 Dual Mode Support - Switch between transports via command-line flags
System Requirements
- Node.js 18+
- NPM 8+
- MCP Client (Claude Desktop, etc.)
Package Size
- 📦 Bundled: 43.9 KB
- 📂 Installed: 286.2 KB
- ⚡ Load Time: <100ms
🐛 Troubleshooting
Common Issues & Solutions
Server Won't Start
# Check Node.js version
node --version # Should be 18+
# Rebuild TypeScript
npm run build
API Errors
- Invalid Station ID: Use
get_stations
to find valid stations - Date Format Issues: Use YYYYMMDD or MM/DD/YYYY formats
- Rate Limiting: NOAA APIs have usage limits - space out requests
MCP Connection Issues
- Ensure Claude Desktop MCP settings are configured correctly
- Check that the server binary has execute permissions:
chmod +x dist/index.js
📈 Roadmap
- 🌊 Real-time Alerts - Webhook support for tide/weather alerts
- 📱 Mobile SDK - React Native integration
- 🗺️ GIS Integration - Shapefile and KML export
- 🤖 AI Insights - Automated pattern recognition
- ⚡ GraphQL API - Modern query interface
- 🌐 Multi-language - I18n support
🤝 Contributing
We love contributions! Here's how to get started:
- 🍴 Fork the repository
- 🌿 Branch for your feature (
git checkout -b amazing-feature
) - 💻 Code your improvements
- ✅ Test with
npm test
- 📤 Submit a pull request
Development Commands
npm run build # Build TypeScript
npm run dev # Development mode
npm run test # Run test suite
npm run format # Format with Prettier
📄 License
MIT License - see LICENSE file for details.
Built with ❤️ by Ryan Cardin
🔗 Links & Resources
- 📦 NPM Package: @ryancardin/noaa-tides-currents-mcp-server
- 🏪 Smithery: Auto-install for Claude Desktop
- 🌊 NOAA CO-OPS: Official NOAA Data Portal
- 🤖 MCP Protocol: Model Context Protocol Docs
- ⚡ FastMCP: FastMCP Framework
⭐ Star this repo if it helped you!
Made possible by NOAA's commitment to open oceanic data 🌊