Key Aspects:
- Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis signed a bill restricting dredging in protected waters on March 19, 2026.
- The bill could block a proposed cruise port in Manatee County near Tampa and is backed by environmental organizations.
- The planned terminal is designed to accommodate larger cruise ships that cannot pass under the Sunshine Skyway Bridge.
A plan to bring larger cruise ships to the Tampa Bay region may have hit a major roadblock. Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis signed a coastal resiliency bill on March 19, 2026, placing new limits on dredging in environmentally sensitive waters.
Known as SB 302, the legislation includes protections for the Terra Ceia Bay Aquatic Preserve in Manatee County, the proposed site of a new cruise terminal.
The move follows months of debate over the project, which would be located near the Sunshine Skyway Bridge and designed to accommodate ships too large to pass beneath it to reach Port Tampa Bay.
Supporters of the legislation say the new rules are intended to protect fragile coastal ecosystems. At the same time, the restrictions could make it difficult to move forward with large-scale construction projects like a deep-water cruise facility.
The bill was amended in February 2026 by Bradenton Sen. Jim Boyd after developers, including SSA Marine and Slip Knott LCC, revealed plans for a new cruise port in Terra Ceia Bay.
SB 302 adds limits on dredging and filling in at designated aquatic preserves, a key requirement for building a cruise terminal capable of handling larger ships.
“When the cruise terminal was started to be discussed, we said this is just something we can’t allow in our community in that particular spot,” Sen. Boyd told local media.
Added Bradenton Rep. Will Robinson, “We don’t need a cruise ship [terminal] out there, we love our area.”
The legislation was also backed by environmental group Suncoast Waterkeeper, which has raised concerns about potential impacts to the watershed.
The bill includes exceptions for certain activities, including projects tied to public navigation, environmental restoration, or public health needs.
Proposed Port in Jeopardy
The proposed Manatee County cruise terminal was introduced as a solution to the height restrictions of Tampa Bay’s Sunshine Skyway Bridge, which has a vertical clearance of about 180 feet – too low for many of the cruise industry’s newest ships.
In late 2025 and early 2026, global terminal operator SSA Marine and Tampa-based Slip Knott began outlining plans for a new cruise facility on 328 acres of land known as Knott-Cowen’s tract.
SSA Marine also announced the purchase of Rattlesnake Key, an adjacent 710-acre site in lower Tampa Bay within the Terra Ceia Aquatic Preserve.
The concept calls for building a deep-water terminal south of the bridge that could accommodate larger vessels that currently cannot access Port Tampa Bay, such as Royal Caribbean’s Icon- and Oasis-class vessels.
Early plans include multiple berths, terminal infrastructure, and significant dredging to create a channel capable of handling modern cruise ships.
Developers said, “We are committed to transparently working through the public process and welcome the opportunity to engage local residents in meaningful dialogue and work collaboratively with the community to ensure this effort reflects West Central Florida’s needs and create sustained, long-term public benefit.”
The plan prompted immediate reaction from local officials and environmental groups, particularly due to the scale of dredging required in protected waters.
With the bill now signed into law, the new restrictions on dredging directly affect the type of work needed to build the facility. SSA Marine and Slip Knott had not responded to the legislation as of press time. Suncoast Waterkeeper has said it expects a “long battle ahead.”
