Tracking Trash: Flotsam, Jetsam and the Science of Ocean Motion by Loree Griffin Burns
Aided by a ragtag army of beachcombers, Dr. Curt Ebbesmeyer tracks trash in the name of science. From sneakers to hockey gloves to LEGO pieces, Curt monitors the watery fate of cargo spilled into the ocean. The journeys he has documented are astounding and some — like the rubber ducks that drifted thousands of miles from the Pacific Ocean across the Arctic and into the Atlantic — have attracted substantial media attention. But the information Curt collects is much more than casual news; it is important scientific data. And with careful analysis Curt is using his data to understand and protect our world ocean.
Tracking Trash: Flotsam, Jetsam and the Science of Ocean Motion chronicles the development of Curt’s unique ocean research program. In engaging text and unforgettable images readers meet the woman who started it all (Curt’s mother!), the computer program that makes sense of his data (nicknamed OSCURS) and several scientists who are using his discoveries to preserve delicate marine habitat and protect the creatures who live in them.
- Published by Houghton Mifflin Company, 2007
- 64 pages
- For ages 12 and up