How can digital traces help to identify and represent human interactions with fragile coastal socio-ecosystems? The livelihoods of more than 3 billion people depend on coastal marine ecosystems. The "FUTURE-OBS: Augmented Observatory for coastal socio-ecosystems" project is a pioneering initiative to advance the understanding of coastal socio-ecosystems in the face of increasing anthropogenic pressures. The project combines traditional ocean observing methods with cutting-edge techniques such as environmental genomics and in situ biodiversity imaging. By using social media data to monitor human interactions with these vulnerable spaces - the work package led by the médialab - the project pushes the boundaries of what is possible to observe and understand these complex systems.