Advances in communication and sensor technology have lead to the possibility of environmental monitoring data becoming available in real or near real time on the Internet. Numerous examples of this are already operational but the vast majority of these comprise proprietary hardware and software tied to a particular instrument or modem manufacturer. As a whole, these integrated systems tend to be expensive to procure and maintain.

Recent developments, however, are leading to more open systems becoming available. It is now possible to select the optimum sensor for a particular application or budget, and to send data to an online data storage and publishing service, without the need for bespoke development or costly IT equipment. Future developments promise to make environmental monitoring a ‘plug and play’ operation, so that the state of the environment at a reported location could become – with advent of low cost GPS receivers – as ubiquitous as location itself.

One of the key functions of MEDIN is to provide a network of linked Data Archive Centres (DACs) to provide a secure long term storage facility available to all producers of marine environmental data.