The HIGHROC (HIGH spatial and temporal Resolution Ocean Colour) project will carry out the research and development necessary for the next generation coastal water products and services from ocean colour space-borne data by giving an order of magnitude improvement in both temporal and spatial resolution. These improvements will both open up new application areas for remote sensing, such as the assessment/monitoring of environmental impacts from dredging and offshore construction, and will strengthening existing applications, such as the assessment and monitoring of water quality in the context of the European Union Water Framework and Marine Strategy Framework Directives.