When you and your parents drive somewhere, there are traffic signals to tell you the rules of the road, and police officers to come to your aid if you get into an accident. And if you've ever taken a trip by plane, you probably know that every airport has air traffic controllers who follow planes using radar and radio to make sure they take off and land safely.

So it makes sense that there's also traffic control at sea, to help ships sailing in or out of a port. Along the coastline of the United States, that "traffic control at sea" is provided by the U.S. Coast Guard. Every other country has some type of coastal protection service as well, to keep boats, their passengers, and fragile coastal environments safe.

But how does that relate to international trade?

Well, let's think for a minute about the kind of services the captain of a huge container ship needs when entering or leaving a port. What kind of help do you think you'd want from the Coast Guard if you were suddenly in charge of a container ship?

Navigation. A ship's captain can't be expected to know every geographic detail of every harbor in the world, even with good maps. The U.S. Coast helps ships, pilots, and tugboats navigate their way in and out of port.

• The Coast Guard maintains lighthouses, buoys, markers, and lights along treacherous coastlines to keep ships away from rocks, shallow places or other hazards. And the Coast Guard provides radio navigation services in all weather.

• The Coast Guard's Vessel Trafic Service uses radio to monitor the movements of ships moving into or out of a port. Coast Guard staff can step in and offer help if a ship captain needs extra assistance or if two ships are moving too near each other.

• The Coast Guard keeps waterways along the U.S. coast navigable. The Coast Guard operates bridges and locks to help ships move in and out.

• And in northern harbors, Coast Guard ice breakers keep ports open all winter and provide a lookout for dangerous icebergs.

Pollution Control. An oil spill or other pollution problem can be extremely dangerous, not only for wildlife and fragile habitat but also for the people who work at sea. The Coast Guard works with shippers to prevent pollution along the coast and is the first line of response when there is a problem.

Law Enforcement. The Coast Guard enforces the law at sea, just as your local Police Department does on land. The Coast Guard helps keep U.S. ports safe by tracking and seizing illegal drugs and other contraband goods.

Port facilities. The Coast Guard makes sure that ships are safe even once they've safely arrived at port. The Coast Guard develops rules and standards for port facilities such as container terminals and docks to make sure they are safe for ships, workers, and the environment.

U.S. ports would be much less safe—for large container ships as well as for smaller boats of all sizes—without the Coast Guard. It is this careful attention to safety along the shoreline that keeps goods moving all over the world.

If you live in a city in the United States, use the library to find the closest Coast Guard operation to your town. Does the Coast Guard operate any bridges, lighthouses, or pollution control services near your town? If you live in a country other than the U.S., find out who keeps your coastline safe. Is their mission similar to the U.S. Coast Guard's?

You can learn more about the Coast Guard at the U.S. Coast Guard web site at: www.uscg.mil

Or, you can check this archived Boomerang Box trade topic: www.apl.com/boomerangbox/d323.htm

And don't forget to check in on LT Patrick J. St. John, with the U.S. Coast Guard Vessel Traffic Service in Puget Sound.

Check out past Trade Topics entries!