Billy Black / Gull (Larinae) sitting on mooring ball in calm waters on misty day. Robinhood, Maine, USA, July 2010.

Franco Banfi / California sea lion ( Zalophus californianus), rests on buoy, Magdalena Bay, Baja California Sur, Mexico.

Ashley Cooper / Sunrise over sailing boats on Lake Windermere in Ambleside, Lake District, England, UK. December 2014.

Ashley Cooper / Sunrise over sailing boats on Lake Windermere in Ambleside, Lake District, England, UK. December 2014.

Ashley Cooper / Storm Gertrude, with winds of up to 132 mph resulted in this Trinity House 'Cardinal Mark' ripped off its steel anchor chain and washed up on Walney Island. England, UK. January 2016

David Fleetham / Large wave-energy buoy off Kaneoho Bay, Oahu. The 40-kW experimental buoy employs the bobbing motion of the buoy to drive an electrical generator, that sends power to the island via underwater cable,...

David Fleetham / Shoal of Bluelined / Bluestriped snapper (Lutjanus kasmira) passing a diver working on a large wave-energy buoy off Kaneoho Bay, Oahu. The 40-kW experimental buoy employs the bobbing motion of the buo...

David Fleetham / Diver working on a large wave-energy buoy off Kaneoho Bay, Oahu. The 40-kW experimental buoy employs the bobbing motion of the buoy to drive an electrical generator, that sends power to the island via...

David Fleetham / Large wave-energy buoy, partially submerged, in Honolulu Harbour before being towed to Kaneoho Bay, Oahu, Hawaii. The 40-kW experimental buoy employs the bobbing motion of the buoy to drive an electri...

Five Films / Marine plastic pollution washed up on the shore amongst melting sea ice, Svalbard, Norway, August 2017.

Michael Quinton / Steller's Sea Lion (Eumetopias jubatus) group on buoy, Alaska

Michael Quinton / Steller's Sea Lion (Eumetopias jubatus) group on buoy, Alaska

Jeff Rotman / Lobster buoys decorate a front lawn in lobster fishing country. Port Clyde, Maine, USA, December 2016.

Pat Tuson / Plastic bottles washed up on a slipway of the River Thames with caged bags of rubbish and buoy behind, London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham, England, UK, September 2015.

Tony Wu / Eastern Steller's sea-lion (Eumetopias jubatus ssp. monteriensis) juvenile, perched on a buoy. Chatham Strait, near Juneau, Alaska.

SCOTLAND: The Big Picture / Diver going to shot line that marks the start of the survey point, Lamlash Bay, Isle of Arran, South Arran Marine Protected Area, Scotland, UK, August 2016.

Mary McDonald / Steller sea lion (Eumetopias jubatus) sunning on channel buoy, Petersburg, Alaska, USA, August.

Hanne & Jens Eriksen / Masked booby (Sula dactylatra) flock resting on buoy, Oman, September

Merryn Thomas / Dusk on Old Quay, St. Martin's Flats, with buoy in shallows. St. Martin's, Isles of Scilly. England. May 2013.

Juan Carlos Munoz / Steller's sea lion (Eumetopias jubatus) resting on buoy, California, USA. February.

Niall Benvie / Lobster traps and buoys on pier at Craighouse, Jura, Inner Hebrides, Scotland, April 2014.

Jeff Rotman / The MegJ preparing to drop drift gill net to catch Sockeye salmon (Oncorhynchus nerka) Naknek River, Bristol Bay, Alaska, USA, June 2015.

Franco Banfi / Nets confiscated from poachers, Wafer Bay ranger station, Chatham Bay, Cocos Island National Park, Costa Rica, East Pacific Ocean. September 2012.

Franco Banfi / Nets, hooks and buoys confiscated from poachers, Wafer Bay ranger station, Chatham Bay, Cocos Island National Park, Costa Rica, East Pacific Ocean. September 2012.

Franco Banfi / Nets, hooks and buoys confiscated from poachers, Wafer Bay ranger station, Chatham Bay, Cocos Island National Park, Costa Rica, East Pacific Ocean. September 2012.

Juan Carlos Munoz / Markers surrounding seabass farm, Secovlje Saline Nature Park, Slovenia, October 2014.

Juan Carlos Munoz / Markers surrounding seabass farm, Secovlje Saline Nature Park, Slovenia, October 2014.

Juan Carlos Munoz / Markers surrounding seabass farm, Secovlje Saline Nature Park, Slovenia, October 2014.

Philippe Clement / Blue goose barnacle / buoy barnacle (Dosima fascicularis) washed onto beach, Bay of the Somme, France, May.

Philippe Clement / Blue goose barnacle / buoy barnacle (Dosima fascicularis) against white background, Bay of the Somme, France, May.

Hanne & Jens Eriksen / Brown noddy / Common noddy (Anous stolidus) on buoy, Oman, September

Onne van der Wal / 'Quantum' TP52 sail boat racing in Key West Race Week 2013, Florida. All non-editorial uses must be cleared individually.

Onne van der Wal / Boats racing in Key West Race Week 2013, Florida. All non-editorial uses must be cleared individually.

Onne van der Wal / 'Quantum' racing in Key West Race Week 2013, Florida. All non-editorial uses must be cleared individually.

Cheryl-Samantha Owen / West coast rock lobster (Jasus lalandii) fishing aboard the James Archer (Oceana Fisheries). Brightly coloured buoys used to mark trap locations. Saldanha Bay and St. Helena Bay, Western Cape, South A...

Cheryl-Samantha Owen / West coast rock lobster (Jasus lalandii) fishing aboard the James Archer (Oceana Fisheries). Brightly coloured buoys used to mark trap locations. Saldanha Bay and St. Helena Bay, Western Cape, South A...

Cheryl-Samantha Owen / Fishing for West coast rock lobster (Jasus lalandii) aboard the James Archer (Oceana Fisheries). Fisherman taking a break. Saldanha Bay and St. Helena Bay, Western Cape, South Africa.

Cheryl-Samantha Owen / Fishing for West coast rock lobster (Jasus lalandii) aboard the James Archer (Oceana Fisheries). Brightly colored buoys used to mark trap locations, in Saldanha Bay and St. Helena Bay, Western Cape, S...

Terry Whittaker / 2020VISION / Common cormorants (Phalocrocorax carbo) perched on buoy with industrial buildings in the background, River Thames, London, England, UK, December.

Terry Whittaker / 2020VISION / Common cormorants (Phalocrocorax carbo) perched on buoy with boat passing in the background, River Thames, London, England, UK, December.

Terry Whittaker / 2020VISION / Common cormorants (Phalocrocorax carbo) perched on buoy with boat passing in the background, River Thames, London, England, UK, December.

Merryn Thomas / Tender and sea gull viewed beyond buoy tied to gate. Flushing harbour near Falmouth, Cornwall, UK

Merryn Thomas / Tender viewed beyond buoy tied to gate. Flushing harbour near Falmouth, Cornwall, UK

Rick Tomlinson / Farr 40 "Barking Mad" leads at the windward mark offset buoy. Miami Grand Prix, Florida, USA. March 2010.

Onne van der Wal / Split level view of buoy / marker at the the Bahamian Sloop regatta, Georgetown, Exumas, Bahamas. April 2009.

Benoit Stichelbaut / "Linuen" cardinal marker buoy in the Bay de Concarneau, Brittany, France

Matthias Breiter / Grizzly Bear (Ursus arctos horribilis) yearling cub playing with an orange rubber buoy, Katmai National Park, Alaska

Charlie Summers / Steller's Sea Lions (Eumetopias jubatus) resting on an Inland Passage buoy. Petersburg, Alaska, July.

Suzi Eszterhas / California Sea Lion (Zalophus californianus) male and females resting on buoy, Monterey Bay, California

Mike Potts / Sandwich Terns (Thalasseus sandvicensis) small flock resting on a navigation buoy, South East coast of Anglesey. North Wales. UK, June

Alex Mustard / A Florida manatee (Trichechus manatus latirostrus) fitted with a satellite tracking buoy. Crystal River, Florida, USA. February 2010

Alex Mustard / A tracking buoy fitted to a Florida manatee (Trichechus manatus latirostrus) viewed from the surface, Crystal River, Florida, USA. February 2010

Doug Allan / Barnacles on mooring buoy off coast of Peter Island, British Virgin Islands

Wild Wonders of Europe / Lundgren / Two Common terns (Sterna hirundo) on buoy, Pico, Azores, Portugal, June 2009

Rob Cousins / Bow of moored boat, Bristol Floating Harbour, August 2008

Hanne & Jens Eriksen / Socotra cormorant {Phalacrocorax nigrogularis} resting on buoy, Ras Al Khaimah, UAE

David Shale / Feeding Goose barnacle (Lepas anatifera) found attached to drifting oceanic buoy, Atlantic ocean

David Shale / Goose barnacles (Lepas anatifera) found attached to drifting oceanic buoy, Atlantic ocean

David Shale / Feeding Goose barnacles (Lepas anatifera) found attached to drifting oceanic buoy, Atlantic

David Shale / Goose barnacles (Lepas anatifera) found attached to drifting oceanic buoy, Atlantic ocean

David Shale / Goose barnacles (Lepas anatifera) found attached to drifting oceanic buoy, feeding, Atlantic ocean

David Shale / Goose barnacles (Lepas anatifera) found attached to drifting oceanic buoy, Atlantic ocean

David Shale / Feeding Goose barnacles (Lepas anatifera) found attached to drifting oceanic buoy, Atlantic ocean

David Shale / Goose barnacles (Lepas anatifera) found attached to drifting oceanic buoy, Atlantic ocean

David Shale / Feeding Goose barnacles (Lepas anatifera) found attached to drifting oceanic buoy, Atlantic ocean

David Shale / Feeding Goose barnacles (Lepas anatifera) found attached to drifting oceanic buoy, Atlantic ocean

David Shale / Goose barnacles (Lepas anatifera) found attached to drifting oceanic buoy, Atlantic ocean

David Shale / Feeding Goose barnacles (Lepas anatifera) found attached to drifting oceanic buoy, Atlantic ocean

David Shale / Feeding Goose barnacles (Lepas anatifera) found attached to drifting oceanic buoy, Atlantic ocean

David Shale / Goose barnacles (Lepas anatifera) found attached to drifting oceanic buoy, Atlantic ocean

David Shale / Goose barnacles (Lepas anatifera) found attached to drifting oceanic buoy, Atlantic ocean

David Shale / Goose barnacles (Lepas anatifera) found attached to drifting oceanic buoy, Atlantic ocean

David Shale / Feeding Goose barnacles (Lepas anatifera) found attached to drifting oceanic buoy, Atlantic ocean

Matthias Breiter / Steller's Sea Lion (Eumetopias jubatus) on buoy, Cordova, Prince William Sound, Alaska

Flip Nicklin / Steller's Sea Lion (Eumetopias jubatus) trio on buoy with oil stains on their fur, Exxon Valdez Oil Spill, Prince William Sound, Alaska

Ralph Pace / Deep-set buoy gear floating at surface with strike indicators allowing biologists to know when swordfish is caught, San Diego, California

Ralph Pace / Swordfish (Xiphias gladius) caught on deep-set buoy gear, San Diego, California

David Fleetham / Divers exploring the Buoy 6 wreck, Palau, Micronesia. Model released.

David Fleetham / Divers exploring the Buoy 6 wreck, Palau, Micronesia. Model released.

Jaymi Heimbuch / California Sea Lion (Zalophus californianus) on harbor buoy, Monterey Bay, California

Onne van der Wal / Underwater view of a red buoy floating on the surface, British Virgin Islands, Caribbean. December 2006.

Rick Tomlinson / Class 7 "Mist" a Nicholson 33 skippered by Ross Elliston rounds NE Gurnard buoy during Skandia Cowes Week, Solent, UK, day 6, August 3, 2006.

Rick Tomlinson / Volvo Open 70 "ABN AMRO ONE" rounds East Shingles Buoy during Skandia Cowes Week, UK, day 4, August 1, 2006.

Onne van der Wal / Navigating in the fog next to the red #12 bell buoy off Newport, Rhode Island, USA.

Marc Robillard / Wooden tender tied to a mooring buoy in Locmariaquer harbours, Brittany, France.

Marc Robillard / Wooden tender tied to a mooring buoy in Locmariaquer harbour, Brittany, France.

Marc Robillard / Wooden tender tied to a buoy in the calm waters of Locmariaquer, Morbihan, Brittany, France.

Marc Robillard / Wooden tender tied to a mooring buoy in Locmariaquer harbour, Brittany, France.

Marc Robillard / Wooden tender tied to a mooring buoy in Locmariaquer harbour, Brittany, France.

Marc Robillard / Wooden tender tied to a mooring buoy in Locmariaquer harbours, with a seagull in the foreground. Brittany, France.

Marc Robillard / Wooden tender tied to a mooring buoy in Locmariaquer harbours, Brittany, France.

Onne van der Wal / A mast and bell buoy emerging from the fog in the waters off Somes Sound, Maine, USA.

Rick Tomlinson / Odd Job, 1/4 Tonner, Class 7 with Paul Treliving hits the Hill Head Buoy during Skandia Cowes Week, Solent, UK, day 6, August 3, 2006.

Matthias Breiter / Steller's Sea Lion (Eumetopias jubatus) on buoy at entrance to Wrangell Narrows, Petersburg, Alaska

Luciano Candisani / Brown Noddy (Anous stolidus) sitting on a washed up nautical buoy, Rocas Atoll, Brazil

Norbert Wu / Buoy attracts great number of fish in deep water, Hawaii