You never know what you might find on a beach. Just ask Keith Moreis. During a winter stroll along the shores of Martha's Vineyard in December, 2013, Mr. Moreis found a bottle cast adrift 54 years ago. But who cast the bottle into the ocean?

Set Adrift for Science

For thousands of years, people cast messages in bottles into the sea for reasons of romance, distress and, importantly, science. Ancient Greek scientists studied the Mediterranean Sea by using drift bottles to measure the currents, as did modern-age researchers around the world well into the 20th century. Such was the case with our mysterious bottle.

Fast forward to September 19, 1959. On this day, scientists on board the U.S. Coast and Geodetic Ship Hydrographer released a drift bottle containing a bright pink message that read 'BREAK THIS BOTTLE' in bold letters.

Like the ancient Greeks, these researchers were studying currents employing the age-old method of casting drift bottles. Their hope was that someone would find their bottles, follow the instructions contained within, and return them to the U.S. Coast and Geodetic Survey. The location where bottles were discovered would thereby provide valuable information on area ocean currents. As it turned out, the particular bottle found by Mr. Moreis settled only about 36 miles away on the sands of Martha's Vineyard, where it presumably resided for decades! 

As anyone who loves the sea knows, traditions are important amongst seafaring people. However, things have changed since the 1950s. While sending out messages in a bottle is a fun idea and can tell us something about ocean circulation, we must remember that dumping anything into the ocean violates U.S. and international law. For more on marine debris, visit NOAA Marine Debris Program.