Key West, Florida, a renowned tourist destination known for its vibrant marine life and scenic waters, is grappling with growing concerns over the impact of cruise ships on the island’s water quality. On a sunny February day, passengers disembark from the Celebrity Constellation, a cruise ship that brings over 2,000 visitors to the island. Yet, not far from the bustling port, a water quality monitoring device has been tracking the environmental impact of these massive vessels for over a year.
Arlo Haskell, a member of the Key West Committee for Safer Cleaner Ships, explained that the harbor is equipped with two sensors designed to measure dozens of substances and parameters, one near the water’s surface and the other closer to the seabed. The data collected is crucial in assessing how the large cruise ships, which frequently dock in Key West, are affecting the surrounding waters.
Key West’s relationship with the cruise industry has been contentious for years. The city attempted to ban cruise ships five years ago, but was overruled by the state. In a compromise, the city allowed one cruise ship to dock each day and also mandated regular monitoring of water quality in the cruise port.
A key issue in the ongoing debate is turbidity — the amount of fine sediment stirred up by the ships as they navigate through the harbor. Haskell noted that the ships’ large keels are situated close to the seafloor, causing significant sedimentation and the formation of large clouds of silt.
In November 2024, marine researcher Patrick Rice presented alarming findings to the Key West City Commission. His tests revealed that turbidity levels regularly exceeded the limits set by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). “What you can see is, on this particular day, one cruise ship had two turbidity events associated with it that exceeded EPA standards by more than three times,” Rice said, showing the data during a city commission meeting. He also noted that turbidity levels surpassed federal standards on 32 separate occasions in the past year, a frequency that, Rice explained, is equivalent to enduring 32 hurricanes.
The increase in turbidity poses a threat to the delicate marine ecosystem of the Florida Keys, particularly affecting seagrasses, coral reefs, and other marine life. Captain Will Benson, a local fishing guide, expressed his concerns about the long-term damage caused by these sediment clouds, which make the waters less clear and harm local species. “It has an impact on hard-bottom communities and it has an impact on the coral reef,” he said.
Despite these concerns, studies have shown that marine life in the immediate vicinity of the cruise port has remained relatively healthy. However, elsewhere in the Keys, declining water quality is considered a contributing factor to the degradation of coral reefs and the decrease in populations of important fish species, such as bonefish and tarpon.
Benson was disappointed by the response of the city commissioners. At the heart of the issue was the city’s decision not to renew the College of the Florida Keys’ contract for water quality testing, and to remove the monitoring equipment from city property. Some commissioners, like Lissette Carey, questioned whether the College’s focus on turbidity was too closely aligned with groups opposing the cruise ships, which raised concerns about potential bias in the data.
“We need to broaden the scope of our testing to make sure we’re not serving any one group in particular,” Carey said, emphasizing the importance of a balanced approach to the issue.
In response, the city has begun looking for an alternative organization to conduct water testing, a process that could take several months. In the meantime, city-sponsored water quality tests have been suspended, leaving the harbor open to the daily arrivals of cruise ships.
Key West Mayor Dee-Dee Henriquez, who did not respond to interview requests, assured the public via local radio that the city remains committed to preserving water quality for both locals and visitors. “We are fully transparent, and we remain committed to ensuring water quality for our community,” she said.
The decision to halt the testing contract has sparked frustration among some local leaders. Commissioner Sam Kaufman, who advocated for renewing the agreement with the College of the Florida Keys, argued that Key West’s economy is deeply tied to its pristine waters. “We’re a tourist destination, and our lifeblood is the water. People come here to dive the reef. People come here to fish. People come here just to look at the beauty of our environment,” Kaufman said.
Despite the city’s decision, Kaufman is hopeful that the College of the Florida Keys will continue its water quality monitoring with or without the city’s support, citing federal funding that could sustain the research. He expressed optimism that, ultimately, Key West would end up with even more data on water quality, helping to balance the interests of tourism, environmental preservation, and public health.
