Final answer:
RACONS are fitted to buoys to make them more visible to ship radar systems, enhancing marine navigation and safety. They ensure that buoys are detectable, even in harsh weather conditions, preventing navigation hazards and protecting marine habitats.
Step-by-step explanation:
RACONS, also known as radar beacons, are fitted to buoys to enhance marine navigation and safety. These devices work on similar principles to optical reflectors but are designed for radar reflectivity. Buoys equipped with RACONS make them more visible to ships' radar systems, especially in environments where buoys might not naturally reflect radar waves strongly, such as those made from materials like fiberglass or wood.
For instance, on small boats where the structure is not sufficient to return a strong radar signal, the use of radar reflectors becomes critical to avoid collisions. The same concept is applied for buoys, as they are essential to providing navigational guidance to mariners. By fitting buoys with RACONS, these navigational aids become highly detectable by ships, ensuring that maritime traffic can move safely and efficiently around these markers, even in harsh weather conditions like during Hurricane Irene in 2011.
The importance of this technology is underscored by the fact that without such enhancements, buoys and small vessels may go undetected by radar, leading to potential navigation hazards. Therefore, the integration of RACONS into buoys is a crucial measure for maintaining the flow of marine traffic and protecting both vessels and marine habitats from accidental damage.