Times were different when Nena sang about 99 red balloons floating in the summer sky. The Cold War has passed and while conflict still rages in many parts of the world, other problems have emerged. One of them is marine litter. To get to the root of the currents dragging plastic debris through our oceans, German researchers have released tens of thousands of small wooden boats, each equipped with a message for whoever finds them when they run ashore. By pinpointing the stranded vessels’ location, the scientists are hoping to learn more about the paths taken by waste of a similar size.

Even though the ships may be sailing under false colours, when it comes to the prevention and clean-up of marine litter, there is widespread consensus that we must not miss the boat.