City commissioners in Key West have, at least temporarily, put the kibosh on more water testing of the destination’s harbor. A series of tests in the past year, under a contract with the College of the Florida Keys, found increased turbidity — or murky water — that appeared to be caused by the presence of cruise ships calling at the popular port.
The government officials voted to delay renewing an agreement with the college to continue monitoring the harbor water for turbidity, but indicated the pact could be addressed again in early 2025, local media reports say.
Turbidity refers to the level of clarity in water, based on the presence of silt, dirt, and other organic matter, which can impact marine life, including coral and seagrass.
Key West is the Sunshine State’s most southerly port and has three docking areas — Mallory Square, Outer Mole Pier, and Pier B. Most cruise ships dock at Mallory Square or Pier B.
The port is a key economic player in the region, providing an annual economic impact of at least $85 million, a pre-pandemic number. The port also supports a large ferry system.
According to data published by WLRN Pubic Media, a turbidity monitor was placed in 2023 near Mallory Square, and sharp increases in sediment were revealed to coincide with the arrival or departure of large cruise ships.
One of the researchers at the college told government officials that some sediment level spikes recorded in the wake of cruise ship visits exceeded the level that a hurricane would typically cause.
The city commissioners did not provide a reason for nixing the contract renewal, however, the decision followed a November 2024 statement from a scientist with Mote Marine Lab that questioned the college’s testing methodology, the public media report said.
Key West initially began the study in a bid to improve water quality as part of a citywide master plan.
Key West Has a History of Challenging Cruise Industry
Aside from the scientific approaches to safeguard marine life by studying turbidity in Key West harbor, the destination has been wary of big cruise ships for years.
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Efforts to limit or ban cruise ships from Key West have been tried several times. Following a binding referendum in Key West in 2020 that banned more than 90% of all large cruise ships from calling at the port, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis signed a bill prohibiting municipalities from organizing referendums that interfere with commercial marine traffic in the state.
That action voided the referendum, but in early 2022, an environmental movement called Safer Cleaner Ships announced it would protest against cruise ships calling at the destination.
As a result, Carnival Cruise Line, aiming to avoid any protest demonstrations, temporarily dropped the port call from several itineraries operated by three ships. At the time, the cruise line said it was in discussion with Key West about solving the protest problem, which it eventually did.
No cruise ships homeport at Key West, but the destination is a popular port call on Eastern and Western Caribbean cruises.
Ships slated to call in January 2025 include Carnival Cruise Line’s 3,600-guest Carnival Dream, Celebrity Cruises’ 2,800-guest Celebrity Silhouette, Virgin Voyages’ 2,800-guest Valiant Lady, and Norwegian Cruise Line’s 2,400-guest Norwegian Jade, to name a few.
