# Tide Gauges MCP provides live sea levels. AI Agent Connect

> Tide Gauges MCP connects your AI client to live NOAA CO-OPS tide stations. It provides real-time water level readings refreshed every 6 minutes, along with astronomic tide predictions, high and low water times, and flood thresholds. Whether you need the current depth at a specific pier or the predicted tide curve for a coastal trip, your agent can pull the exact numbers from US coastal waters, the Great Lakes, and Pacific islands.

## Overview
- **Category:** weather-climate
- **Price:** Free
- **Endpoint:** https://edge.vinkius.com/vk_preview_nYkeJiMXekRHjGeYannTmxJPjOs7LHPAuPVDL64a/ai-agent-connect
- **Tags:** tides, ocean, water-level, marine-weather, noaa, coastal, real-time, flooding

## Description

You can now give your AI agent direct access to the water level measurements used by NOAA. This MCP pulls live data from tide stations across US coastal waters, including the Great Lakes, Puerto Rico, and the Pacific islands. Instead of hunting through tables or looking at forecast icons, you can just ask your agent for the current depth or the next high tide. The MCP distinguishes between the observed water level, which includes storm surge and wind setup, and the astronomic prediction, which is the planned tidal curve. This distinction lets you see exactly how much the weather is pushing the water above the expected plan. It handles the heavy lifting of station lookups and datum conversions, so you can focus on whether a boat can clear a channel or if a coastal road is at risk of flooding.

## Tools

### find_tide_stations
Find NOAA water level stations by searching for a specific US state or by providing latitude and longitude to find the nearest locations.

### get_station_datums
Retrieve vertical datums for a specific station, such as MHHW or MLLW, to ensure depth readings match your local reference points.

### get_flood_thresholds
Get the specific water level heights that trigger minor, moderate, or major coastal flooding at a station.

### get_tide_highs_and_lows
Identify the specific times and heights when the tide turns at a station for a given date.

### get_tide_predictions
Access the full astronomic tide prediction curve for any station on a specific date.

### get_current_water_level
Get the most recent observed water level at a station, including the effects of wind and storm surge.

## Prompt Examples

**Prompt:** 
```
What's the water level at tide station 8518750 right now? Is the tide coming in or going out?
```

**Response:** 
```
The water level at The Battery (8518750) is 0.59 m above MLLW and falling. The tide is going out, and the last few readings show a steady drop. Low water is predicted later today, so the channel will continue to shallow.
```

**Prompt:** 
```
Find the tide station nearest 32.78, -79.93 and give me today's high and low tides there.
```

**Response:** 
```
The nearest station to 32.78, -79.93 is Charleston Harbor (8665530). Today's prediction shows high water around midday and low water in the early evening, with a range of roughly 1.5 m.
```

**Prompt:** 
```
What is the tide doing at The Battery for the rest of the day?
```

**Response:** 
```
Station 8518750 predicts two cycles today. Low water is at 02:07 (0.442 m), high water at 07:55 (1.154 m), low water at 14:07 (0.522 m), and the highest high is at 20:13 (1.386 m).
```

## Capabilities

### Real-time monitoring
Your agent pulls live water level readings refreshed every 6 minutes.

### Station discovery
The agent finds the closest NOAA stations using latitude and longitude.

### Flood assessment
The agent compares current levels against station-specific flood thresholds.

### Tide planning
Your agent retrieves the astronomic prediction curve and turning points.

### Datum management
The agent fetches MLLW, MHHW, and other reference levels for accurate depth checks.

## Use Cases

### Navigational Planning
A boater asks if a specific channel will be deep enough at a certain hour based on current trends.

### Flood Watch
A resident checks if the current water level has reached the minor or major flooding threshold.

### Marine Operations
A harbor manager uses the tide curve to schedule work windows around high and low water.

### Recreational Timing
A kayaker checks the tide turning times to ensure they aren't caught in a strong current.

## Benefits

- Access live NOAA data refreshed every 6 minutes.
- Distinguish between actual water levels and astronomic predictions.
- Eliminate manual searches for station IDs or state codes.
- Get specific flood thresholds for coastal monitoring.

## How It Works

Connect your client to the Vinkius-hosted MCP and start asking questions immediately.

1. Subscribe to the Tide Gauges MCP on Vinkius.
2. Connect your preferred MCP-compatible client like Claude or Cursor.
3. Ask your agent for water levels, tide times, or station locations.
4. The agent fetches live NOAA data and provides a plain language answer.

## Frequently Asked Questions

**Does this MCP require an API key?**
No. You can subscribe and start using the tools immediately without managing any credentials or keys.

**What is the difference between observed and predicted water levels?**
Observed levels are the actual measurements from the gauge, which include storm surge and wind setup. Predicted levels are the astronomic plan that the sea is expected to follow.

**Where does the tidal data come from?**
All data is sourced directly from NOAA's Center for Operational Oceanographic Products and Services (CO-OPS).

**What areas are covered by these tide stations?**
The coverage includes US coastal waters, the Great Lakes, Puerto Rico, and the Pacific islands.

**How often is the water level updated?**
The tide station readings are refreshed every 6 minutes.