Plastic ducks and oceanology
Aug 20th, 2007 by Birdy Trish
As I’ve said before for the past 15 years a group of plastic ducks been swimming free in the oceans of the world. They have spent years trapped in ice in the Arctic
but they won the battle when the spring came continued their onward journey. Alone in large oceans this flock of plastic ducks must have dreamt of a safe landing and an end to being at the mercy of the oceans waves and weather.
These plastic ducks have taught us a lot about the movement of the ocean’s currents. Curtis Ebbesmeyer who is an oceanographer is using these plastic toys to track the oceans currents. He knows exactly when and where they entered the water on that disastrous storm filled night in 1992.
In 2003 a plastic duck was found on a beach in the Hebrides in north-west Scotland. So one has already traversed the Atlantic Ocean. More are soon expected on the South West England. At the moment they may be in the grip of the Atlantic ocean.
It’s impossible to track currents as they swirl the oceans but these plastic ducks have been studied and have been followed throughout the oceans. This is important information as 70% of the earth is covered in water and the currents effect the world’s climate.
When they float ashore in England, this will become their home. They may be plastic ducks but they have been places we have never been and seen things we have never seen. They have taught us things about the ocean currents and hopefully this information will be used to help sea life and birds of this world of ours.