noaa-marine-mcp-server

Get Marine Conditions

noaa_marine_get_conditions

Read-only

Live marine conditions from an NDBC buoy: wave height, period and direction, wind speed, gust and direction, sea-surface temperature, air temperature, barometric pressure, and dew point. All values are SI units — wind in m/s, wave height in m, pressure in hPa, temperatures in °C — except TIDE, which is in feet, and VIS, in nautical miles, both rarely populated at offshore buoys; a numeric field is null when the buoy sensor did not report a value, which is normal offshore. Row cadence varies by station from 5 to 60 minutes, so observed_at can be that old, and NDBC writes each block of columns on its own cycle, so any block can resolve from an earlier row within 90 minutes of observed_at. Waves carry their own waves_observed_at, null when no wave sample falls inside that window, and any other block read from an earlier row is named with its measurement time in the response notice. Use noaa_marine_find_stations with source="ndbc" and types=["met"] to find station IDs near a location, since met-flagged stations are the ones most likely to serve live conditions: roughly a third of active NDBC stations report neither meteorological nor current data, most of those have no observation file, and omitting the types filter surfaces station IDs this tool cannot read. A 7-digit CO-OPS station ID also works when NDBC relays that gauge's met sensors under a station of its own: the response reads the relay, returns its ID as station_id with its name and coordinates, and returns the requested ID as coops_station_id; a gauge NDBC does not relay fails buoy_not_found.

Input Schema

Name	Required	Description	Default
`station_id`	Yes	NDBC station ID (e.g. "46041" for Cape Elizabeth). Obtain from noaa_marine_find_stations with source="ndbc" and types=["met"]. A 7-digit CO-OPS station ID (e.g. "8654467") also works when NDBC relays that gauge's met sensors under a station ID of its own.

Output Schema

Name	Required	Description
`error`	No	Present when the call failed. Absent on success.
`notice`	No	Present when a CO-OPS station ID was read through its NDBC relay (naming both IDs), when a sensor block other than waves was read from a row older than observed_at (naming each such block, the output fields it fills, and the time those values were measured), or both, in one string. Absent for a station read under its own ID whose blocks outside the wave columns all came from the newest row.
`source`	No	Data source — always "ndbc" for this tool.
`tide_ft`	No	Tide height in feet. NOTE: always in feet regardless of other unit settings. Rarely populated at offshore buoys. Null if not reported.
`latitude`	No	Station latitude in decimal degrees. Null when the station is absent from the NDBC active-stations list — the realtime feed carries observations but no coordinates.
`longitude`	No	Station longitude in decimal degrees. Null when the station is absent from the NDBC active-stations list.
`air_temp_c`	No	Air temperature in °C. Null if not reported.
`station_id`	No	ID of the NDBC station these observations come from: the requested ID, uppercased, or — when a CO-OPS station ID was requested — the NDBC station that relays that gauge's met sensors.
`dew_point_c`	No	Dew point temperature in °C. Null if not reported.
`observed_at`	No	ISO 8601 UTC timestamp of the newest data row. Always a valid instant — a row whose upstream time columns are malformed is rejected rather than timestamped with the current time. A sensor block NDBC wrote on an earlier row was measured before this time: waves report theirs in waves_observed_at, and any other block is named with its own time in the notice.
`pressure_hpa`	No	Atmospheric pressure in hPa. Null if not reported.
`station_name`	No	Station name from the NDBC active stations list.
`water_temp_c`	No	Sea-surface temperature in °C. Null if not reported.
`gust_speed_ms`	No	Wind gust speed in m/s. Null if not reported.
`wave_height_m`	No	Significant wave height in meters. Null if not reported.
`wind_speed_ms`	No	Wind speed in m/s. Null if not reported.
`visibility_nmi`	No	Visibility in nautical miles. NOTE: always in nautical miles regardless of other unit settings. Null if not reported.
`coops_station_id`	No	The CO-OPS station ID that was requested, present only when it was read through the NDBC relay in station_id. Use it with the CO-OPS tools (tides, water level, currents); use station_id for NDBC reads. Absent when station_id is the ID requested.
`waves_observed_at`	No	ISO 8601 UTC timestamp of the row the four wave fields were read from. NDBC runs its wave pass on a slower cycle than the met row, so this can be older than observed_at; it applies to all four wave fields, which are never sampled apart. Null when no wave sample falls inside the 90-minute look-back window, including when the buoy has no wave sensor.
`average_period_sec`	No	Average wave period in seconds. Null if not reported.
`wind_direction_deg`	No	Wind direction in degrees true (0–360). Null if not reported by the buoy.
`dominant_period_sec`	No	Dominant wave period in seconds. Null if not reported.
`mean_wave_direction_deg`	No	Mean wave direction in degrees true. Null if not reported.

Schema Changelog

Changes observed during successful MCP inspections.

Changed5 schema fields changedOct 29, 2026

changedInput schema / properties / station_id / description

Previous value: -"NDBC buoy station ID (5-character alphanumeric, e.g. \"46041\" for Cape Elizabeth). Obtain from noaa_marine_find_stations with source=\"ndbc\" and types=[\"met\"]."New value: +"NDBC station ID (e.g. \"46041\" for Cape Elizabeth). Obtain from noaa_marine_find_stations with source=\"ndbc\" and types=[\"met\"]. A 7-digit CO-OPS station ID (e.g. \"8654467\") also works when NDBC relays that gauge's met sensors under a station ID of its own."

addedOutput schema / properties / coops_station_id

Added value: +{
+  "description": "The CO-OPS station ID that was requested, present only when it was read through the NDBC relay in station_id. Use it with the CO-OPS tools (tides, water level, currents); use station_id for NDBC reads. Absent when station_id is the ID requested.",
+  "type": "string"
+}

changedOutput schema / properties / error / properties / data / properties / reason / description

Previous value: -"Machine-readable failure mode. Declared by this tool: `buoy_not_found`: NDBC returned 404 for the station ID. `no_sensor_data`: Buoy file exists but all sensor fields are MM (missing) — buoy offline or sensor failure. Other values are possible when a failure originates below the handler."New value: +"Machine-readable failure mode. Declared by this tool: `buoy_not_found`: NDBC has no observation file for the station ID and no NDBC station relays it as a CO-OPS gauge; the NDBC station relaying the CO-OPS ID has no observation file either; or several NDBC stations relay it and the met flag does not single one out. `no_sensor_data`: Buoy file exists but all sensor fields are MM (missing) — buoy offline or sensor failure. Also raised for the NDBC relay of a CO-OPS station ID, naming both IDs. Other values are possible when a failure originates below the handler."

changedOutput schema / properties / notice / description

Previous value: -"Present when a sensor block other than waves was read from a row older than observed_at, naming each such block, the output fields it fills, and the time those values were measured. Absent when every block outside the wave columns came from the newest row."New value: +"Present when a CO-OPS station ID was read through its NDBC relay (naming both IDs), when a sensor block other than waves was read from a row older than observed_at (naming each such block, the output fields it fills, and the time those values were measured), or both, in one string. Absent for a station read under its own ID whose blocks outside the wave columns all came from the newest row."

changedOutput schema / properties / station_id / description

Previous value: -"Station ID echoed from the request — for chaining."New value: +"ID of the NDBC station these observations come from: the requested ID, uppercased, or — when a CO-OPS station ID was requested — the NDBC station that relays that gauge's met sensors."

Changed8 schema fields changedSep 17, 2026

changedOutput schema / anyOf

Previous value: -[
-  {
-    "not": {
-      "required": [
-        "error"
-      ]
-    },
-    "required": [
-      "station_id",
-      "station_name",
-      "latitude",
-      "longitude",
-      "observed_at",
-      "source",
-      "wind_direction_deg",
-      "wind_speed_ms",
-      "gust_speed_ms",
-      "wave_height_m",
-      "dominant_period_sec",
-      "average_period_sec",
-      "mean_wave_direction_deg",
-      "pressure_hpa",
-      "air_temp_c",
-      "water_temp_c",
-      "dew_point_c",
-      "visibility_nmi",
-      "tide_ft"
-    ]
-  },
-  {
-    "required": [
-      "error"
-    ]
-  }
-]New value: +[
+  {
+    "not": {
+      "required": [
+        "error"
+      ]
+    },
+    "required": [
+      "station_id",
+      "station_name",
+      "latitude",
+      "longitude",
+      "observed_at",
+      "source",
+      "wind_direction_deg",
+      "wind_speed_ms",
+      "gust_speed_ms",
+      "wave_height_m",
+      "dominant_period_sec",
+      "average_period_sec",
+      "mean_wave_direction_deg",
+      "waves_observed_at",
+      "pressure_hpa",
+      "air_temp_c",
+      "water_temp_c",
+      "dew_point_c",
+      "visibility_nmi",
+      "tide_ft"
+    ]
+  },
+  {
+    "required": [
+      "error"
+    ]
+  }
+]

changedOutput schema / properties / latitude / description

Previous value: -"Station latitude in decimal degrees."New value: +"Station latitude in decimal degrees. Null when the station is absent from the NDBC active-stations list — the realtime feed carries observations but no coordinates."

changedOutput schema / properties / latitude / type

Previous value: -"number"New value: +[
+  "number",
+  "null"
+]

changedOutput schema / properties / longitude / description

Previous value: -"Station longitude in decimal degrees."New value: +"Station longitude in decimal degrees. Null when the station is absent from the NDBC active-stations list."

changedOutput schema / properties / longitude / type

Previous value: -"number"New value: +[
+  "number",
+  "null"
+]

addedOutput schema / properties / notice

Added value: +{
+  "description": "Present when a sensor block other than waves was read from a row older than observed_at, naming each such block, the output fields it fills, and the time those values were measured. Absent when every block outside the wave columns came from the newest row.",
+  "type": "string"
+}

changedOutput schema / properties / observed_at / description

Previous value: -"ISO 8601 UTC timestamp of the observation row used."New value: +"ISO 8601 UTC timestamp of the newest data row. Always a valid instant — a row whose upstream time columns are malformed is rejected rather than timestamped with the current time. A sensor block NDBC wrote on an earlier row was measured before this time: waves report theirs in waves_observed_at, and any other block is named with its own time in the notice."

addedOutput schema / properties / waves_observed_at

Added value: +{
+  "description": "ISO 8601 UTC timestamp of the row the four wave fields were read from. NDBC runs its wave pass on a slower cycle than the met row, so this can be older than observed_at; it applies to all four wave fields, which are never sampled apart. Null when no wave sample falls inside the 90-minute look-back window, including when the buoy has no wave sensor.",
+  "type": [
+    "string",
+    "null"
+  ]
+}

Changed26 schema fields changedSep 16, 2026

removedOutput schema / properties / air_temp_c / anyOf

Removed value: -[
-  {
-    "type": "number"
-  },
-  {
-    "type": "null"
-  }
-]

addedOutput schema / properties / air_temp_c / type
```
Added value: +[
+  "number",
+  "null"
+]
```

removedOutput schema / properties / average_period_sec / anyOf

Removed value: -[
-  {
-    "type": "number"
-  },
-  {
-    "type": "null"
-  }
-]

addedOutput schema / properties / average_period_sec / type
```
Added value: +[
+  "number",
+  "null"
+]
```

removedOutput schema / properties / dew_point_c / anyOf

Removed value: -[
-  {
-    "type": "number"
-  },
-  {
-    "type": "null"
-  }
-]

addedOutput schema / properties / dew_point_c / type
```
Added value: +[
+  "number",
+  "null"
+]
```

removedOutput schema / properties / dominant_period_sec / anyOf

Removed value: -[
-  {
-    "type": "number"
-  },
-  {
-    "type": "null"
-  }
-]

addedOutput schema / properties / dominant_period_sec / type
```
Added value: +[
+  "number",
+  "null"
+]
```

removedOutput schema / properties / gust_speed_ms / anyOf

Removed value: -[
-  {
-    "type": "number"
-  },
-  {
-    "type": "null"
-  }
-]

addedOutput schema / properties / gust_speed_ms / type
```
Added value: +[
+  "number",
+  "null"
+]
```

removedOutput schema / properties / mean_wave_direction_deg / anyOf

Removed value: -[
-  {
-    "type": "number"
-  },
-  {
-    "type": "null"
-  }
-]

addedOutput schema / properties / mean_wave_direction_deg / type
```
Added value: +[
+  "number",
+  "null"
+]
```

removedOutput schema / properties / pressure_hpa / anyOf

Removed value: -[
-  {
-    "type": "number"
-  },
-  {
-    "type": "null"
-  }
-]

addedOutput schema / properties / pressure_hpa / type
```
Added value: +[
+  "number",
+  "null"
+]
```

removedOutput schema / properties / tide_ft / anyOf

Removed value: -[
-  {
-    "type": "number"
-  },
-  {
-    "type": "null"
-  }
-]

addedOutput schema / properties / tide_ft / type
```
Added value: +[
+  "number",
+  "null"
+]
```

removedOutput schema / properties / visibility_nmi / anyOf

Removed value: -[
-  {
-    "type": "number"
-  },
-  {
-    "type": "null"
-  }
-]

addedOutput schema / properties / visibility_nmi / type
```
Added value: +[
+  "number",
+  "null"
+]
```

removedOutput schema / properties / water_temp_c / anyOf

Removed value: -[
-  {
-    "type": "number"
-  },
-  {
-    "type": "null"
-  }
-]

addedOutput schema / properties / water_temp_c / type
```
Added value: +[
+  "number",
+  "null"
+]
```

removedOutput schema / properties / wave_height_m / anyOf

Removed value: -[
-  {
-    "type": "number"
-  },
-  {
-    "type": "null"
-  }
-]

addedOutput schema / properties / wave_height_m / type
```
Added value: +[
+  "number",
+  "null"
+]
```

removedOutput schema / properties / wind_direction_deg / anyOf

Removed value: -[
-  {
-    "type": "number"
-  },
-  {
-    "type": "null"
-  }
-]

addedOutput schema / properties / wind_direction_deg / type
```
Added value: +[
+  "number",
+  "null"
+]
```

removedOutput schema / properties / wind_speed_ms / anyOf

Removed value: -[
-  {
-    "type": "number"
-  },
-  {
-    "type": "null"
-  }
-]

addedOutput schema / properties / wind_speed_ms / type
```
Added value: +[
+  "number",
+  "null"
+]
```

Changed6 schema fields changedAug 25, 2026

changedInput schema / $schema

Previous value: -"http://json-schema.org/draft-07/schema#"New value: +"https://json-schema.org/draft/2020-12/schema"

addedInput schema / additionalProperties
```
Added value: +false
```

changedOutput schema / $schema

Previous value: -"http://json-schema.org/draft-07/schema#"New value: +"https://json-schema.org/draft/2020-12/schema"

addedOutput schema / anyOf

Added value: +[
+  {
+    "not": {
+      "required": [
+        "error"
+      ]
+    },
+    "required": [
+      "station_id",
+      "station_name",
+      "latitude",
+      "longitude",
+      "observed_at",
+      "source",
+      "wind_direction_deg",
+      "wind_speed_ms",
+      "gust_speed_ms",
+      "wave_height_m",
+      "dominant_period_sec",
+      "average_period_sec",
+      "mean_wave_direction_deg",
+      "pressure_hpa",
+      "air_temp_c",
+      "water_temp_c",
+      "dew_point_c",
+      "visibility_nmi",
+      "tide_ft"
+    ]
+  },
+  {
+    "required": [
+      "error"
+    ]
+  }
+]

addedOutput schema / properties / error

Added value: +{
+  "additionalProperties": {},
+  "description": "Present when the call failed. Absent on success.",
+  "properties": {
+    "code": {
+      "description": "JSON-RPC error code for this failure.",
+      "maximum": 9007199254740991,
+      "minimum": -9007199254740991,
+      "type": "integer"
+    },
+    "data": {
+      "additionalProperties": {},
+      "properties": {
+        "reason": {
+          "description": "Machine-readable failure mode. Declared by this tool: `buoy_not_found`: NDBC returned 404 for the station ID. `no_sensor_data`: Buoy file exists but all sensor fields are MM (missing) — buoy offline or sensor failure. Other values are possible when a failure originates below the handler.",
+          "examples": [
+            "buoy_not_found",
+            "no_sensor_data"
+          ],
+          "type": "string"
+        },
+        "recovery": {
+          "additionalProperties": {},
+          "description": "Actionable next step for the caller.",
+          "properties": {
+            "hint": {
+              "type": "string"
+            }
+          },
+          "required": [
+            "hint"
+          ],
+          "type": "object"
+        },
+        "retryable": {
+          "description": "Whether retrying may succeed.",
+          "type": "boolean"
+        }
+      },
+      "type": "object"
+    },
+    "message": {
+      "description": "Human-readable description of what went wrong.",
+      "type": "string"
+    }
+  },
+  "required": [
+    "code",
+    "message"
+  ],
+  "type": "object"
+}

removedOutput schema / required

Removed value: -[
-  "station_id",
-  "station_name",
-  "latitude",
-  "longitude",
-  "observed_at",
-  "source",
-  "wind_direction_deg",
-  "wind_speed_ms",
-  "gust_speed_ms",
-  "wave_height_m",
-  "dominant_period_sec",
-  "average_period_sec",
-  "mean_wave_direction_deg",
-  "pressure_hpa",
-  "air_temp_c",
-  "water_temp_c",
-  "dew_point_c",
-  "visibility_nmi",
-  "tide_ft"
-]

Changed1 schema field changedJul 16, 2026

changedInput schema / properties / station_id / description

Previous value: -"NDBC buoy station ID (5-character alphanumeric, e.g. \"46041\" for Cape Elizabeth). Obtain from noaa_marine_find_stations with source=\"ndbc\"."New value: +"NDBC buoy station ID (5-character alphanumeric, e.g. \"46041\" for Cape Elizabeth). Obtain from noaa_marine_find_stations with source=\"ndbc\" and types=[\"met\"]."

First observedJun 7, 2026

TDQS

A4.8/5.0

Behavior5/5

Does the description disclose side effects, auth requirements, rate limits, or destructive behavior?

Beyond readOnlyHint/openWorldHint, it discloses units for every field, the TIDE/VIS unit exceptions and their rarity, null semantics (sensor did not report — normal offshore), row cadence of 5–60 minutes, and per-block staleness up to 90 minutes with named measurement times. It also documents the relay behavior returning coops_station_id and the buoy_not_found failure, which annotations cannot express.

Agents need to know what a tool does to the world before calling it. Descriptions should go beyond structured annotations to explain consequences.

Conciseness4/5

Is the description appropriately sized, front-loaded, and free of redundancy?

It is a single dense paragraph, but nearly every sentence carries non-redundant information (units, nulls, cadence, staleness, station discovery, relay). Front-loading the field list is correct; a bulleted or segmented layout would improve scanability without cutting content.

Shorter descriptions cost fewer tokens and are easier for agents to parse. Every sentence should earn its place.

Completeness5/5

Given the tool's complexity, does the description cover enough for an agent to succeed on first attempt?

For a one-parameter read tool with an output schema, this covers everything an agent needs: units, null meaning, temporal staleness expectations, how to obtain a valid station ID, and the error path. Nothing material is left to inference.

Complex tools with many parameters or behaviors need more documentation. Simple tools need less. This dimension scales expectations accordingly.

Parameters4/5

Does the description clarify parameter syntax, constraints, interactions, or defaults beyond what the schema provides?

With one parameter at 100% schema coverage the baseline is 3, but the description adds real meaning: it clarifies why met-flagged NDBC IDs are the ones this tool can actually read, and that a 7-digit CO-OPS ID resolves through a relay with the response exposing both station_id and coops_station_id. That goes past the schema's brief note.

Input schemas describe structure but not intent. Descriptions should explain non-obvious parameter relationships and valid value ranges.

Purpose5/5

Does the description clearly state what the tool does and how it differs from similar tools?

Opens with a specific verb and resource — live marine conditions from an NDBC buoy — and enumerates the exact measurement set (waves, wind, SST, air temp, pressure, dew point), which cleanly separates it from siblings like get_currents and get_tide_predictions. An agent knows immediately what this returns.

Agents choose between tools based on descriptions. A clear purpose with a specific verb and resource helps agents select the right tool.

Usage Guidelines5/5

Does the description explain when to use this tool, when not to, or what alternatives exist?

Explicitly routes the agent to noaa_marine_find_stations with source="ndbc" and types=["met"], and explains the failure mode of omitting the types filter (roughly a third of stations report nothing, so unfiltered IDs may be unreadable). It also states the alternative path for 7-digit CO-OPS IDs and when that path fails.

Agents often have multiple tools that could apply. Explicit usage guidance like "use X instead of Y when Z" prevents misuse.

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