Flotsametrics and the Floating World - Paperback

by Curtis Ebbesmeyer (Author), Eric Scigliano (Author)

"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.

Part scientific discovery, part travelogue, Flotsametrics and the Floating World uncovers the hidden stories of the sea:

• The Great Sneaker Spill: Follow the incredible 2,000-mile journey of 61,000 Nike sneakers lost at sea, a serendipitous experiment that reshaped our understanding of the North Pacific.
• Citizen Science at its Best: Learn how a worldwide network of beachcombers became essential field volunteers, collecting telltale clues from rubber ducks to hockey gloves washed up on shore.
• Forensic Oceanography: Explore the stranger side of flotsam, from messages in bottles and ancient shipwrecks to the eerie science of tracking drifting human remains.
• The Great Pacific Garbage Patch: Discover the truth behind the vast, swirling collections of marine plastic pollution, and what the hidden "music of the gyres" tells us about the health of our planet.

Front Jacket

Pioneering oceanographer Curtis Ebbesmeyer seized the world's imagination when he and his worldwide network of beachcomber volunteers traced ocean currents using thousands of sneakers and plastic bath toys spilled from storm-tossed freighters. Now, for the first time, Ebbesmeyer tells the story of his lifelong quest to solve the sea's mysteries. He recounts how flotsam has changed the course of history. He reveals the rhythmic and harmonic order in the vast oceanic currents and uncovers the astonishing story of flotsam, altering the world's view of trash, the ocean, and our global environment.

Back Jacket

Pioneering oceanographer Curtis Ebbesmeyer seized the world's imagination when he and his worldwide network of beachcomber volunteers traced ocean currents using thousands of sneakers and plastic bath toys spilled from storm-tossed freighters. Now, for the first time, Ebbesmeyer tells the story of his lifelong quest to solve the sea's mysteries. He recounts how flotsam has changed the course of history. He reveals the rhythmic and harmonic order in the vast oceanic currents and uncovers the astonishing story of flotsam, altering the world's view of trash, the ocean, and our global environment.