🔍 Key Concepts

• Aids to Navigation (ATON): Regulatory and Informational Marks used in U.S. waters • The meaning of orange geometric shapes (diamond, diamond with cross, circle, square) on white buoys • Difference between a danger warning, exclusion area, and operating restrictions

💭 Think About

• What is the general purpose of white buoys with orange shapes compared with lateral buoys (red/green)? • Among the shapes used (diamond, diamond with cross, circle, square/rectangle), which one is specifically associated with a hazard you must keep away from, even if entry is not completely prohibited? • Which option refers to tying up to the buoy itself, and what color/pattern do mooring buoys normally have?

✅ Before You Answer

• Match the specific orange shape (open-faced diamond) to its standard meaning in the U.S. Aids to Navigation system • Distinguish between "danger" and "area where vessels are totally excluded" — they are marked by different but similar symbols • Recall that mooring buoys have a unique color pattern and are not part of the regulatory/informational orange-geometry system