Since the availability of satellite altimetry data from TOPEX/Poseidon and Jason-1 and its follow-on Jason-2 we have seen a revolution in modeling of ocean tides on Earth, although this improvement excludes near-coast and polar regions. Much effort is going into addressing these regions using observations from ICESat, GRACE and retracked altimetric data sets, with exciting recent advances. Direct and indirect observations of ocean tides are also being made using GPS and gravimetry. A range of new model developments are underway, including increased model sophistication and resolution. This session welcomes contributions that deal with observation and modelling of ocean tides on Earth and other planetary bodies such as the Moon Europa in the Jovian system.