Tides dictate the lives of the marine organisms which live within their reach, as well as the plans of those who live, work, and play near the coast. Understanding tides is crucial for safe maritime navigation, coastal zone management, coastal engineering projects, fisherpeople, boaters, surfers and other water sport enthusiasts.
Tides vary widely from place to place, so tide prediction data for specific areas are very useful.
This is especially true for the Bay of Fundy in Nova Scotia, Canada, which has the highest tides in the world. Tides are caused by two forces, one being the gravitational pull of the sun and the moon on the earth. The moon has more influence on tides than the sun because it is 400 times closer to the earth. The other factor is the centrifugal force acting on the earth as it spins. This causes bulges in the ocean that follow the moon as it revolves around the earth, one bulge directly under the moon and the other on the opposite side of Earth.