Becky Ryan, age 15, of Wilmington, Del., for her question:

WHAT ARE FLOTSAM, JETSAM AND LAGAN?

Flotsam, jetsam and lagan are terms used to describe goods in the sea.

Goods found floating in the sea are called flotsam. The term includes both goods cast from a vessel in distress and goods that float when a ship sinks.

Jetsam is goods voluntarily cast overboard in an emergency, usually to lighten the vessel. Jetsam sinks and remains under water.

Lagan, or sometimes called ligan, is cargo that someone has sunk with the definite intention of recovering later. The person usually ties a buoy to lagan to mark its location.

Flotsam, jetsam and lagan are not abandoned or derelict property. That is, the owner or master of the ship does not intend to give up the goods permanently. He intends to recover his goods at some later date.

Under maritime law, jetsam, flotsam and lagan remain the property of their original owner, no matter how long they lie in the sea. The finder may only hold them for a legal reward the owner pays to the finder.