We quantify the emissions and uptake of the greenhouse gases carbon dioxide and methane from the coastal seas of the UK over 1 year using the state-of-the-art eddy covariance technique. Our measurements show how these air–sea fluxes vary twice a day (tidal), diurnally (circadian) and seasonally. We also estimate the air–sea gas transfer velocity, which is essential for modelling and predicting coastal air-sea exchange.