Is proposed Manatee cruise port on protected Florida land? What officials say

Florida officials say the proposed site of a new cruise port in Manatee County is not part of the Terra Ceia Aquatic Preserve, contrary to state maps that depict the property inside the preserve’s boundaries.

In a 2024 letter obtained by the Bradenton Herald, the Florida Department of Environmental Protection (FDEP) told a property owner that several privately held Manatee County land parcels, including Rattlesnake Key and the Knott-Cowen Tract, are “adjacent” to the preserve, but not technically inside of it.

However, the private lands are surrounded by protected waters, and development there would undoubtedly have impacts on the broader area. The preserve is designated as an Outstanding Florida Water, which provides an extra layer of protections against dredging and other activities that could lower water quality, even if they occur on private lands.

Tampa-based company Slip Knott LLC recently proposed developing a cruise port on the Knott-Cowen Tract property it owns southeast of the Sunshine Skyway Bridge. The company is working with cruise terminal operator SSA Marine to pursue the project, which would allow megaships that cannot fit under the Skyway to dock to the south in Manatee County’s Terra Ceia area.

SSA Marine recently purchased Rattlesnake Key from Cayo Cascabel LLC, a company with ties to Slip Knott LLC, and promised to preserve the island as part of its cruise port plans. But the Knott-Cowen Tract, 328 acres of land just to the north, would be developed, and the project would also require deep dredging to allow ships to enter the area.

The project is drawing opposition from residents, state lawmakers and environmental advocates who say that a cruise port would harm Terra Ceia Bay and Tampa Bay.

Florida officials clarify boundaries of Terra Ceia preserve

The announcement of the cruise port plans has created public confusion about whether the land proposed for development is part of Terra Ceia Aquatic Preserve.

The Florida Legislature created Terra Ceia Aquatic Preserve in 1984 under the Florida Aquatic Preserve Act. The law protects state-owned submerged lands in the area.

Private lands and waters inside an aquatic preserve’s boundaries are not part of the preserve, according to state law.

“This area is one of the most pristine regions in Tampa Bay,” says the state’s first management plan for the preserve written in 1987. “Maintaining the continued health of the preserve will involve minimizing water pollution and losses of wetlands resulting from urban, residential and industrial development in the region.”

State maps have long depicted the preserve as a solidly shaded area stretching from coastal Manatee County into Lower Tampa Bay, including the entire Terra Ceia area, the Knott-Cowen Tract, Rattlesnake Key and other privately held islands.

But in a 2024 a letter to a property owner, an FDEP official wrote that such maps are “approximate” and “used only for the general location of the aquatic preserves.”

According to the letter, the property owner had asked the state to clarify where their private property ends and the preserve begins.

“Per your request, we reviewed your client’s deeds, as depicted on the attached map, and this property is not within the Terra Ceia Aquatic Preserve,” a senior program analyst wrote in the letter. “However, it is adjacent to the preserve.”

Can state officials approve project near protected waters?

The cruise ship project faces local, state and federal approvals before it could proceed.

For projects that could degrade an Outstanding Florida Water, developers face a higher level scrutiny from state officials. State law requires the applicant to prove that the project is “clearly in the public interest” to gain approval.

State officials comment on cruise port proposal

In a statement provided to the Bradenton Herald, FDEP officials said they are aware of the cruise port proposal, but cannot comment on whether it would gain state approval.

“The Florida Department of Environmental Protection is aware of the public discussion surrounding a potential cruise port proposal in Manatee County; however, FDEP has not received an application for this project,” wrote FDEP spokesperson Alexandra Kuchta in a statement provided after publication of this story. “Because no application has been submitted, FDEP does not have information on a specific project location or design and is not conducting a permitting review at this time.”

“If an application is submitted, it would undergo a comprehensive and stringent review to ensure compliance with Florida’s environmental laws, including opportunities for public engagement. If any portion of the proposed project is located within an aquatic preserve, additional statutory protections and review standards would apply,” the statement concluded.

Slip Knott LLC declined to comment.

This story was originally published February 4, 2026 at 2:00 PM.