Watch, listen, learn...
The new Coast journey takes us further than ever before - covering our neighbours' shorelines as well as our own. Grab your free guide to the new series.
Want to take a luxury tour of the Coast? Order - or download - your free copy of The Open University guide to our coast and beyond.
That's just the start of the journey, though... here's a glimpse into what the booklet contains - and further information on all the subjects.
The red cliffs of Teignmouth
The red rocks forming the steep cliffs of South Devon have a fascinating history.
Making the nation
The British Isles are made of a wide variety of different rock types. Explore them with our guide to UK rocks by region.
Underground stories
The ground we walk on in the United Kingdom is made up of a fascinating variety of different sorts of rocks. Join us to find out more about the tales beneath our feet.
To Dawlish Warren and beyond
Get a close up look at the South West of England with an online field trip to Dawlish Warren.
Life of eels
The life history of the European eel Anguilla anguilla.
The wild Sargasso sea
Patricia Ash reveals the massive journey undertaken by 'British' eels as part of their eel life.
Teeming with life
Rock pools and wet sand provide support and cover for any number of creatures and plants. Discover life on the beach.
Nuclear shores
Nuclear power is a matter of interest and contention.
A fresh look
Joe Smith wonders if the changing planet means it's time to say "nuclear power, yes please"?
A message from the grandchildren
How might your actions today be shaping the coast of tomorrow? Find out - and get your own postcards from the future.
Power from the waves
If we don't want nuclear and can't have oil, will the resources of the coast keep us plugged in?
Solution or problem?
Splitting atoms to generate electricity may not contribute to global warming, but are there drawbacks to using nuclear power?
Sea in a shell
Why can you hear the sea when you put a shell to your ear?
Beating the boundaries
The natural soundtrack of crashing waves and gulls has long proved an inspiration to composers scoring the shoreline.
Out of range
Our ears - acute though they are - can't begin to catch all the sounds of the natural world. What do humans miss?
Who goes there?
Migration stories are a daily news staple.
Migration on the map
It looks like the world population is in perpetual motion - track global migrants on our interactive map.
Repelling borders?
Some travellers are more welcome than others. Melissa Butcher explores the paradox of migration controls.
Doctors at the birth
A very British institution - but one shaped by migrant labour. Meet the doctors who shaped the NHS.
Norwegian fjords
The fjords of Norway are one of its greatest attractions and they dominate its rugged coastline.
The twiddly bits of Norway
Glynda Easterbrook explains the role of ice in shaping Norway and forming Fjords.
Thawing then freezing
Pallavi Anand explains the mystery of the ice age during the Cenozoic period. Why did the earth go from hothouse to icehouse?
Our man in the Antarctic blog
The weather is freezing, the maps ridiculously vague, and all the equipment is lashed to furniture. Meet blogger Mark Brandon – our man in the Antarctic.
The ice pack
Artists and scientists head north on a polar expedition, and alongside Jarvis Cocker and KT Tunstall is our man in the arctic.
Puffins on Lundy
Lundy is a small island located in the Bristol Channel.
Pied pipers protecting puffins
Why did conservationists intervene between the puffins and rats of Lundy?
Cheep and cheerful
Turn your garden - or even a wall - into a haven for all sorts of feathered creatures. It's for the birds.
Permission to play
Oh, we do like to be beside the seaside.
Piers and other delights
For many in Britain, the coast means the seaside and leisure, fun and a taste of the forbidden. Sally Novello records the changes in the seaside as our first resort.
Changing views
Track the changes to our seaside and compare the past and present with postcards from the past.
Want to go even further?
Why not pursue your passion with an Open University course?
Content last updated: 27/04/2009
