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28,800 rubber ducks lost at sea in 1992 still aid ocean science

Original: In 1992, 28,800 plastic ducks fell from a cargo ship: years later, scientists are still tracking them across the oceans

In 1992, a cargo container carrying 28,800 plastic bath toys spilled into the Pacific Ocean during a storm. Decades later, scientists continue to track where the ducks wash ashore, using their drift patterns to study ocean currents and circulation. The incident, one of the most famous examples of flotsam science, keeps resurfacing as people rediscover the story of the toys that mapped the seas.

Why now: The remarkable story of the spilled toys and their ongoing use in tracking ocean currents is recirculating and capturing attention again.

Ever Laurel (cargo ship)Pacific OceanoceanographersFriendly Floatees

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• In 1992, 28,800 plastic ducks fell from a cargo ship: years later, scientists are still tracking them across the oceans · MARCA

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