Which buoy indicates the dredging area?

The buoy that indicates a dredging area is recognized as a yellow buoy. In the U.S. Aids to Navigation System, a yellow buoy is specifically used to signify areas that are potentially hazardous due to dredging operations. This color coding serves a practical purpose in marine navigation, helping mariners identify areas where caution is required due to ongoing work.

The yellow buoy communicates the need for vessels to remain vigilant and navigate with care, ensuring the safety of both the marine environment and the operations taking place. The use of yellow is consistent with guiding standards that assist in the uniformity of navigation aids and their meaning across various regions and operations.

In contrast, other colors and buoy designs are designated for different purposes, such as indicating danger or other navigation-related information. The white buoy with a green top and the white and international orange buoy serve various functions, but they do not specifically denote a dredging area as the yellow buoy does. Similarly, the yellow and black vertically striped buoy indicates a different type of hazard, further distinguishing its role from that of the yellow buoy designated for dredging.