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Tethys MCP

Status: Basic proof-of-concept

  • Static knowledge based on some WIP documents
  • A subset of LRAUV live information
  • Only query capability (no commanding or database changes)

This is an MCP server that exposes LRAUV operator-assistant capabilities to any compatible client.

Note

The server may be shut down or restarted at any time without prior notice.

The server combines static knowledge with live operational state (using TethysDash API), so a single client conversation can answer mixed questions like "Where is brizo right now and what does the manual say about emergency recovery?"

The MCP endpoint is available at (only accessible within the MBARI network): 

http://tethystest.shore.mbari.org:8080/mcp

Connecting

Claude Code

claude mcp add tethys-ai --transport http http://tethystest.shore.mbari.org:8080/mcp

Start a fresh claude session and run /mcp, which should display tethys-ai as connected.

Claude Desktop

Through the GUI an https:// URL would be required. So, use a stdio bridge instead. You can edit your Claude Desktop config file and add the entry below.

Config file location:

  • macOS: ~/Library/Application Support/Claude/claude_desktop_config.json
  • Windows: %APPDATA%\Claude\claude_desktop_config.json
{
  "mcpServers": {
    "tethys-ai": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": [
        "-y",
        "mcp-remote",
        "http://tethystest.shore.mbari.org:8080/mcp",
        "--transport", "http-only",
        "--allow-http"
      ]
    }
  }
}

Restart Claude Desktop. The tethys-ai tools should appear in the tool picker.

Note

mcp-remote is a helper that runs locally and forwards the client (e.g., Claude Desktop) to the remote server. npx will fetch it on first run. --allow-http opts in to a plain-HTTP target (mcp-remote refuses non-HTTPS URLs by default).

Knowledge base

In the initial prototype only a couple of WIP documents have been ingested for Retrieval Augmented Generation (RAG).

Sample prompts

These are some basic prompts just for POC purposes.

Note

Most of these prompts were generated by Claude Code upon a simple request to use the implemented MCP tools as reference. So, some may be useless or unrealistic, but they should give a good general idea of the sort of questions that can be asked.

Knowledge base (RAG over ingested manuals/SOPs):

  • What does the operator manual say about watchstander duties?
  • What's the procedure for emergency recovery?
  • Show me the pre-deployment checklist.

Where & what (positions, missions, deployments):

  • Show brizo's positions over the last 12 hours.
  • What mission is makai running?
  • What's everyone running right now?
  • What's brizo's current deployment?
  • When was opah last deployed and what mission is it currently running?
  • Has makai started a new deployment in the last week?

Deployment documents (pre-deployment checklists, deployment plans, closeout reports):

  • What documents are attached to opah's current deployment?
  • Show me the predeployment checklist for pontus.
  • Who last filled out the closeout for opah's last deployment, and when?
  • Summarize the deployment plan for pontus.

Reachability (cell-comms ping):

  • Is brizo reachable by cell comms right now?
  • Which vehicles are currently reachable?

Events (operational log stream):

  • Any critical events on the fleet in the last hour?
  • What happened on brizo today?
  • Show me recent notes from opah.

Configuration:

  • What's been customized on opah?
  • What's opah's battery low-voltage threshold?
  • Compare brizo and opah's navigation tunings.

Time-series data (for plotting / trend reasoning):

  • What variables is daphne currently producing?
  • What science variables does ahi have right now?
  • Plot opah's depth over the last 4 hours.
  • Compare battery_charge between brizo and opah right now.
  • Has opah been at the surface recently?

Mixed-mode

  • Where is brizo right now and what does the manual say about emergency recovery?
  • Any critical events on opah today, and what does the runbook say about handling them?
  • Plot makai's depth and explain what its current mission is supposed to do.
  • Is opah currently doing what its deployment plan says it should?
  • Pontus's predeployment doc mentions CTD checks — is the CTD config customized on the vehicle?