noaa-tidesandcurrents-mcp

Get Observed Currents

noaa_get_currents

Read-onlyIdempotent

Retrieve observed current speed and direction from a NOAA current meter station by station ID, with optional time range, units, and depth bins.

Instructions

Get observed current speed and direction from a NOAA current meter station.

Current stations use alphanumeric IDs (e.g. "cb0102" Chesapeake, "bh0101" Boston Harbor) — NOT the 7-digit water-level station IDs. Find them with noaa_search_stations (type "currents") or noaa_find_nearest_stations.

UNITS WARNING: english = knots, but metric = cm/s (centimeters/second, not m/s).

Returns per record: t (time), s (speed), d (direction, degrees true), b (bin number). Max 7 days per request. Set expand_detailed=true to include per-beam echo intensity and correlation diagnostics.

Input Schema

TableJSON Schema

Name	Required	Description	Default
`bin`	No	Depth bin number (current meters measure at multiple depths). Find valid bins with noaa_get_station_info (expand ["bins"]). bin=0 returns ALL bins but caps the request at 7 days. Omit at single-bin stations.
`date`	No	Shortcut window: "today" = midnight to now, "latest" = single most recent reading, "recent" = last 72 hours. Mutually exclusive with begin_date/end_date/range.
`range`	No	Number of hours. With begin_date: hours forward. With end_date: hours back. Alone: hours back from now.
`units`	No	Unit system. english: feet, °F, knots (wind AND currents), nautical miles. metric: meters, °C, m/s for wind but cm/s for currents, kilometers. Air pressure is millibars and salinity is PSU in BOTH systems.	english
`station`	Yes	Station ID. Water-level/met stations use 7-digit numeric IDs (e.g. "9414290" San Francisco); current stations use alphanumeric IDs (e.g. "cb0102"). Find stations with noaa_search_stations or noaa_find_nearest_stations.
`end_date`	No	End date/time. Same formats as begin_date.
`time_zone`	No	Time zone for timestamps: gmt = UTC, lst = station local standard time (no DST), lst_ldt = station local time with DST. Note: daily_mean data requires lst.	lst_ldt
`begin_date`	No	Start date/time. Formats: yyyyMMdd, "yyyyMMdd HH:mm", MM/dd/yyyy, or ISO yyyy-MM-dd[THH:mm].
`expand_detailed`	No	Include ADCP beam diagnostics (echo1-4, corr1-4) per record.
`response_format`	No	Output format: "markdown" for a readable summary table, "json" for the complete structured payload.	markdown

Output Schema

TableJSON Schema

Name	Required	Description	Default
`_response`	Yes

Schema Changelog

Changes observed during successful MCP inspections.

Addedv1.0.1Oct 5, 2026

TDQS

A4.5/5.0

Behavior4/5

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

Annotations already establish the safe read-only/idempotent/openWorld profile, so the bar is lower; the description still adds real behavior beyond them: a hard max of 7 days per request, the meaning of expand_detailed, and the per-record return shape. It does not mention any auth/rate-limit constraints, but for a read-only NOAA endpoint those are minor.

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

Conciseness5/5

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

Front-loaded with the core verb+resource, then station-ID guidance, then the units warning in caps where it's most likely to be missed. Every sentence carries actionable information with no filler.

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?

An output schema exists so return values needn't be documented, yet the description still enumerates the per-record fields (t, s, d, b) and the diagnostics toggle. Together with station-finding guidance, units, and the 7-day bound, an agent has everything needed to invoke it correctly.

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?

Schema coverage is 100%, so baseline is 3, but the description adds value by surfacing a genuine trap the schema buries: metric currents are cm/s, not the m/s used for wind. It also reinforces the station-ID format distinction and the 7-day/expand_detailed semantics, slightly exceeding baseline.

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?

States a specific verb+resource ("Get observed current speed and direction") and immediately scopes it to NOAA current meter stations. It explicitly distinguishes current stations from the 7-digit water-level station IDs that sibling tools like noaa_get_water_levels use, so an agent can route correctly without opening schemas.

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

Usage Guidelines4/5

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

Tells the agent how to obtain valid station IDs via noaa_search_stations (type "currents") or noaa_find_nearest_stations, and flags the 7-day cap. It stops short of an explicit when-to-use-this-vs-noaa_get_current_predictions statement, but "observed" vs. predicted is strongly implied.

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