The sustainable development of Channel coastal areas requires long‐term, continuous and real‐time monitoring to get a better understanding of the current situation, monitor changes to natural habitats and improve responsiveness to threats and pollution (a need clearly identified in the EU Blue Book). MeDON aims at developing, testing and disseminating a new concept of coastal monitoring based on a network of real-time marine observatories, with a focus on innovation and an end-user orientation.