Photographs by Petty Officer 3rd Class Thomas M. Blue

MORGAN CITY, La. - Fireman Eric Ruiz, an ATON technician with Aids to Navigation Team Morgan City, prepares to set a channel buoy in Fresh Water Bayou here Monday, Dec. 11, 2006.

Buoys are just one type of more than 170 navigational aids the ANT team is responsible for maintaining and ensuring that are in the correct position.

MORGAN CITY, La. - Fireman Eric Ruiz, an ATON technician with Aids to Navigation Team Morgan City, releases a lighted navigational buoy in Fresh Water Bayou here Monday, Dec. 11, 2006.

ANT Morgan City's six crewmembers maintain shore, lighted and unlighted, ranges and day beacons aid within their area of responsibility.

MORGAN CITY, La. - Petty Officer 2^nd Class Clint Williams, the executive petty officer of Aids to Navigation Team Morgan City, prepares a servicing record sheet here Monday, Dec. 11, 2006.

Each serviced aid is recorded to ensure it is properly working and all structural requirements are met.

MORGAN CITY, La. - Crewmembers from Aids to Navigation Team Morgan City secure a Carmanah lantern here Monday, Dec. 11, 2006, before setting a buoy in Fresh Water Bayou.

Instead of using lights and batteries, the Coast Guard uses Carmanahs in order to save resources, money and supplies.

MORGAN CITY, La. - Petty Officer 2^nd Class Aaron Boyette, the engineering petty officer with the Aids to Navigation Team Morgan City, conducts daily rounds on a smallboat here Tuesday Dec. 12, 2006.

Each day, engineers perform maintenance rounds to ensure each part of the small boat is working properly.

MORGAN CITY, La. - Seaman Patrick Gallaher, an ATON technician with the Aids to Navigation Team Morgan City, conducts a battery-voltage load test here Monday, Dec. 11, 2006.  

The 10-minute voltage test simulates a 24-hour period the battery would be working.