Flotsam and jetsam

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For other uses, see Flotsam and jetsam (disambiguation).

Traditionally, flotsam and jetsam are words that describe goods of potential value that have been thrown into the ocean. There is a technical difference between the two: jetsam has been voluntarily cast into the sea (jettisoned) by the crew of a ship, usually in order to lighten it in an emergency; while flotsam describes goods that are floating on the water without having been thrown in deliberately, often after a shipwreck.

Image:Flostam tern island.JPG In modern usage, flotsam also includes driftwood, logs and other natural debris in oceans and waterways.

Ligan (or lagan), describes goods that have been marked by being tied to a buoy so that its owner can find and retrieve it later.

Derelict is property which has been abandoned and deserted at sea by those who were in charge without any hope of recovering it. This includes vessels and cargo.

One famous recent example of flotsam occurred in the Pacific Ocean in 1992, when thousands of rubber ducks and other toys manufactured by The First Years corporation went overboard during a storm. The rubber ducks were scattered across three oceans (the Pacific, Arctic, and Atlantic), and many have been found; Curtis Ebbesmeyer and other scientists have used the incident to gain a better understanding of ocean currents. Similar incidents have happened, with the same potential to track currents, with containers of Nike sneakers. On November 30th, 2006, thousands of bags of Doritos chips washed up on the beach at Frisco, North Carolina. <ref>Catherine Kozak (2006-12-1). Their chips have come in. The Virginian-Pilot. Retrieved on 2006-12-01.</ref>

The differences among flotsam, jetsam, and ligan are occasionally of consequence in the law of admiralty and marine salvage. On land the distinction between deliberate and accidental loss led to the concept of Treasure Trove.

Flotsam is an increasing environmental problem, particularly for marine life. Discarded fishing nets and other flotsam can entangle and drown fish, marine mammals and seabirds. Some seabirds, particularly albatross, also consume flotsam by mistake, leading to health problems.