Flotsametrics and the Floating World - How One Man’s Obsession with Runaway Sneakers and Rubber Ducks Revolutionized Ocean Science

“Ebbesmeyer’s goal is noble and fresh: to show how the flow of ocean debris around the world reveals ‘the music’ of the world’s oceans.”

—New York Times Book Review

Through the fascinating stories of flotsam, one of the Earth’s greatest secrets is revealed. In Flotsametrics and the Floating World, maverick scientist Curtis Ebbesmeyer details how his obsession with floating garbage—from rubber ducks to discarded Nike sneakers—helped to revolutionize ocean science. Scientist and environmentalist David Suzuki, host of CBC TV’s “The Nature of Things,” calls Flotsametrics and the Floating World “Science and storytelling at its very best.” “A very enjoyable, if at times dark, book” (Nature), it is must reading for anyone interested in Oceanography, Environmental Science, and the way our world works.

What secrets do a spilled cargo of sneakers or a fleet of bath toys hold about the planet?

Ocean Gyres: Uncover the hidden ‘music’ of the ocean by mapping the vast, continent-sized currents that act as a global conveyor belt for everything that floats. Beachcombing Science: Join a worldwide network of citizen scientists who track everything from Nike sneakers to rubber ducks to help predict the movement of debris and even oil spills. The Great Pacific Garbage Patch: Journey to the massive, swirling accumulation of plastic pollution in the North Pacific—a phenomenon first identified and named by the author. Messages in a Bottle: Follow the surprising history of drifting objects, from ancient shipwrecks to modern scientific experiments that have helped map the seas.