I think you could certainly raise and lower water levels on a timed schedule, but that's really not replicating the hydrology of a tide pool, most of which experience a 100% water change twice a day, high levels of insolation, and extremely powerful water flow. I think that they're probably a lot like seasonal rivers, which recede to leave small remnant pools filled with hardy species, but on a much more rapid cycle. In other words, it looks like a simple system, but is something that would probably be very difficult to replicate in a home aquarium, although I've certainly thought about it.
There's also relatively little stock suitable for tide pools available in the aquarium trade, as they're frequently used by juvenile fish seeking refuge from predators. The tide pools I visit in the Bahamas are mainly inhabited by small, juvenile groups of royal grammas, sargeant majors, and schoolmasters; mermaid's glass macro; crabs, and a few brain corals. That's pretty sparse by aquarium standards.
Perhaps this could be done with a small tank with a huge sump, such as on a 1:5 basis.
