Florida News

All American Marine (AAM) announced the delivery of a 78-foot aluminum research vessel commissioned by the University of North Carolina Wilmington (UNCW). Following successful sea trials at AAM’s Bellingham, WA facility, R/V Osprey has arrived in Florida and is currently making her way up the coast to her home port of Wilmington, NC. There, she will support UNCW’s faculty, students, and research partners conducting scientific and educational missions along the Mid-Atlantic, U.S.

U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean P. Duffy announced a $665 million investment to modernize ferry infrastructure for the communities who rely on these transit systems to work and move goods.From inland waterway dock expansions to brand-new passenger ferries, the Department selected 23 projects in 14 states and the United States Virgin Islands, including: $153,406,928 to the Alaska Department of Transportation & Public Facilities to replace a 50-year-old passenger vessel that connects smaller communities in Southeast Alaska.$7…

Two slicks have appeared in Iranian waters, satellite imagery and video verified by Reuters show, as tit-for-tat attacks on oil tankers and other vessels by Iran and the United States spark concerns about environmental damage to the Gulf.A potential environmental disaster is already unfolding off Oman outside of the Strait of Hormuz where a grounded tanker, the Caroline Bezengi, is leaking Russian crude oil in a protected marine area and has created a massive slick some estimates put at 2…

U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean P. Duffy today announced that the Maritime Administration (MARAD) is delivering $35.1 million to invest in critical infrastructure and workforce development at 45 shipyards across 24 states and the U.S. Virgin Islands. The program received a 300% increase in funding in 2026.Projects examples include:$1,007,678 to Gulf Marine Repair Corporation in Tampa, Florida, for training center equipment, wheel loaders and upgrades to three berths in its south slip.$1,000,000 to Robert E. Derecktor, Inc.

Jones Walker LLP welcomed Nick Primrose as special counsel in the Government Relations Practice Group in the firm’s Tallahassee office. Nick works with businesses, public agencies, and industry organizations whose success depends on effective engagement with federal, state, and local governments. He helps clients monitor legislative and regulatory developments, assess legal and policy risk, engage decision-makers, and pursue growth opportunities in heavily regulated industries…

A few months ago, I authored an article for Marine News focused on just one of the many successful features of the Oil Pollution Act of 1990 (“OPA 90,” Pub. L. No. 101-380 (1990)) — Alaska’s regional citizen advisory councils (RCACs). The Prince William Sound and Cook Inlet RCACs were established under OPA 90 to work with oil and gas industry interests on behalf of the surrounding communities to ensure safe operations and community buy-in. I was heartened by the positive responses I received from friends…

Ships and aircraft participating in exercise Rim of the Pacific (RIMPAC) 2026 conducted a planned, live-fire sinking exercise (SINKEX) and sank decommissioned USS Mobile Bay (CG 53), July 12, 2026, and decommissioned USS Peleliu (LHA 5), July 17. Mobile Bay and Peleliu were sunk in waters 15,000 feet deep, more than 50 nautical miles off the northern coast of the island of Kauai.During the SINKEXs, participating units from Australia, Canada, Italy, Japan, New Zealand, Spain and the U.S.

A Key Locking the Courthouse Doors Unless Precisely and Appropriately TargetedThe U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit’s May 2026 ruling in Hill v. Jackson Offshore1 makes it clear: broadly challenging an arbitration agreement won’t get you into court. If there’s a delegation clause, you must aim directly at it first and separately.What HappenedSeaman Jeremiah Hill was severely injured on an offshore supply vessel in April 2023. During recovery, Jackson Offshore’s CEO provided the required maintenance and cure…

The U.S. Coast Guard has accepted delivery of the 63rd Fast Response Cutter (FRC), Jeffrey Palazzo (WPC 1163).Jeffrey Palazzo is the fifth FRC to be homeported in Guam, joining the recently commissioned Vincent Danz (WPC 1162).The Sentinel-class FRCs replaced the 1980s Island-class 110-foot patrol boats and possess 21st-century command, control, communications, computers, cyber, intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance equipment, with improved habitability and seakeeping.The U.S.

Royal Caribbean has officially welcomed Legend of the Seas. After nearly two years of construction at the Meyer Turku shipyard in Turku, Finland, the third Icon Class ship is now ready to make its July 2026 European debut.To mark the milestone, more than 1,200 crew members and partners came together for a legendary ceremony led by Royal Caribbean Group Chairman and CEO Jason Liberty, Royal Caribbean President and CEO Michael Bayley, and Meyer Turku CEO Casimir Lindholm.The delivery is part of the company’s long-term framework agreement with Meyer Turku…

Connecticut Maritime Association has decided to move its annual meeting and exposition to Houston for the coming year. In the last few years attendance has shrunk and I suppose leadership thinks that Houston has more potential to draw interest from the maritime community. This leaves me to wonder what the “Maritime Community” actually is.Connecticut Maritime Association had an interesting origin. In the late 1970’s and early 1980’s many bulk ship owner/operators got sick of the long commute into New York City and decided to move their offices to Stamford Connecticut…

Maritime Tactical Systems, Inc. (MARTAC), a provider of fully autonomous unmanned surface vessels (USVs), announced the opening of the MARTAC Innovation Center West in San Diego, California. The new facility marks a milestone in the company’s expansion, strengthening its ability to serve defense, security and commercial customers across the West Coast and Pacific regions.The MARTAC Innovation Center West will serve as a hub for research, development, testing and customer engagement, complementing MARTAC’s headquarters in Melbourne, Florida. San Diego’s deep ties to the U.S.

On June 1, Robert J. Harvey of Florida was sworn in as a Commissioner of the Federal Maritime Commission.Harvey was nominated by President Trump on September 3, 2025, to serve on the Commission for a term expiring on June 30, 2029. The United States Senate confirmed his nomination on May 18, 2026, and President Trump appointed him to the Commission on May 28, 2026.Harvey previously served as the President and Executive Director of the Florida Opportunity Fund, a not-for-profit corporation investing in Florida-based start-up companies in life sciences…

Cemex US and Port Tampa Bay, joined by Tampa Mayor Jane Castor, have celebrated the opening of the newly expanded Cemex Aggregate Terminal at Port Tampa Bay.The expansion, supported by a $29 million Cemex investment and a $7 million Florida Department of Transportation grant, significantly increases the terminal's capacity to receive, store and distribute the aggregates used in concrete, asphalt and construction projects across the region.The expanded terminal moves aggregates from Newfoundland…

President Donald Trump’s waivers allowing foreign-flagged ships to move oil and fuel between U.S. ports have had little impact on high domestic gasoline prices due to elevated shipping rates and the relatively small fuel volumes transported so far, a Reuters analysis found.In March, Trump issued a waiver to the Jones Act, a century-old law that requires shippers to use vessels built, owned and crewed by Americans to transport commodities between U.S. ports.The policy, aimed at supporting the domestic maritime industry and national security…

Goltens Worldwide's US stations in Florida and Texas have been officially appointed as an authorized distributors for BOLL FILTER CORPORATION, a globally recognized leader in advanced industrial filtration solutions technology.With an operational footprint in Houston and Miami, Goltens brings decades of experience serving leading shipowners, operators, and power producers throughout North America, the Caribbean, and Latin America. BOLL FILTER CORPORATION is known for its filtration solutions designed to protect engines…

The Shipbuilders Council of America (SCA), the national association representing the U.S. shipbuilding, maintenance, and repair industry, today announced its annual member safety awards for the 2025 calendar year. This year, 21 shipyards across Alabama, California, Florida, Hawaii, Louisiana, Massachusetts, New Jersey, Oregon, South Carolina, Texas, Virginia, Washington, and Wisconsin are receiving awards for their achievements in safety.The following shipyards and repair facilities…

Special agents with the U.S. Coast Guard Investigative Service (CGIS), supported by multiple Coast Guard surface and aviation assets, seized the sailing vessel Soulmate approximately 40 nautical miles off the coast of Melbourne, Florida, as part of an ongoing criminal investigation into the disappearance of Lynette Hooker.The seizure was conducted during a complex surveillance and interdiction operation coordinated by CGIS and operational Coast Guard surface from Sector Miami and aviation assets from Air Station Miami.

As a vessel construction manager with extended building experience in both the U.S. and South Korea, more than several opportunities have landed on our desks as Private Equity and Venture Capital analyze tanker tonnage and construction in the domestic trades. With the understanding these requests are based upon the current Persian Gulf and Venezuela issues driving that market we should also pay attention to the 2027 Maritime budget that allocates $1.5 trillion dollars for overall National Security and $65.8 billion set aside for U.S. Navy Shipbuilding.

The future of shipbuilding and maritime competitiveness will be featured at the Maritime Risk Symposium 2026, hosted by the Institute for Homeland Security, Sam Houston State University. On June 2–3, 2026 at LyondellBasell Center for Petrochemical, Energy and Technology in Pasadena, Texas, leaders from industry and academia will examine the strategy, workforce, investment, and partnerships needed to advance America’s maritime comeback.A new era in American shipbuilding is emerging, and the U.S. Gulf Coast stands at its center.

U.S. Coast Guard Cutter Resolute’s crew offloaded approximately 2,570 pounds of cocaine worth more than $19.3 million and transferred six suspected drug smugglers to federal authorities, Thursday, at Base Miami Beach.The seized contraband was the result of three interdictions in the Caribbean Sea by the crew of the Coast Guard Cutter Tahoma and the crew of the USS Billings with an embarked Coast Guard law enforcement detachment.The following assets and crews were involved in the interdiction operations:USCGC TahomaUSS BillingsCoast Guard Helicopter Interdiction Tactical SquadronU.S.

Saildrone has announced its newest platform, Spectre. At 52 meters (170 feet) long, weighing 250 tonnes, and capable of up to 30 knots, Spectre is a high-endurance USV designed to deliver multi-mission effects above and below the surface. Spectre’s design is engineered from the keel up for long-range, quiet, persistent operations.Spectre is Saildrone’s largest, fastest, and most capable platform to date.The US Navy is facing unprecedented challenges in maintaining maritime superiority across numerous regional hotspots simultaneously, says the company.

New U.S.-Flag coastwise registered tonnage was delivered into service April 18, 2026 by Alternative Marine Technologies (AMTECH) as Vessel Construction Managers. The ATB MAM 141 & Tug Battery Park departed Gulf Marine Repair of Tampa, Florida after completing a major conversion and reconstruction to chemical and petroleum service. The barge was refitted with a full stainless steel cargo system and cargo tanks coated with Advanced Polymer Coatings Marine Line 784. The coating application was reportedly the first job with the polymer completed in the United States…