[4] Primary cargoes include slag, salt, vehicles, containers, petroleum, heavy equipment, lumber, and aggregate.

[5] The port has conveyors and hoppers for loading products directly into trucks and facilities for bulk-cargo containers.

[7][8] The Canaveral Port Authority was established in 1953 by the State Legislature and consists of the Board of Commissioners and the Executive Management Team.

Walsh clashed with residents over a controversial plan to build a cargo railway through a federally managed wildlife refuge.

Walsh drew community outrage after calling opponents of his plan "Luddites" and "dogs chasing moving cars."

Port becomes second in cruise business worldwide 2004–2013, 3) political friction between governance and management 2013–2016, 4) modern era 2016–present.

[6] Dedication occurred November 4, 1953, with the United States Navy destroyer escort USS McClelland participating.

[17] Noah Butt[citation needed], a former speaker of the Florida House of Representatives, was the first Chairman of the Canaveral Port Authority.

[17] In 1955, the Tropicana Corporation began building a refrigerated warehouse for storing orange juice, a local agricultural product, prior to shipping.

The Canaveral Lock is still in operation and is maintained by the United States Army Corps of Engineers.

Port Canaveral has played a role in support of NASA projects out of nearby Kennedy Space Center.

In 2009, a commissioner resigned and the Florida Department of Law Enforcement announced that it was conducting an investigation into possible corruption at the port.

[23] In 2009, the last cruise company to offer gambling, SunCruz Casinos, filed for Chapter 7 bankruptcy (liquidation).

The companies failed due to competition from land-based gambling activities in Seminole Casinos, and Greyhound racing venues.

In April 2016, the ASDS Of Course I Still Love You returned the first Falcon 9 booster recovered at sea to Port Canaveral.

A recent addition to the port is the seven-story Exploration Tower, which offers tourists almost 550,000 square feet (51,000 m2) of exhibit space, interactive displays, two observation decks – one inside and one outside – a 72-seat auditorium, event rooms, and a café and gift shop.

While on board the ships, the pilot take conn and direct the movement of the vessels when navigating the channels and basins of Port Canaveral.

[30] The association currently owns two single screw, aluminum hull Bill Preston designedpilot boats that are used to pick up and drop off pilots from a vessel.

[32] In Port Canaveral the pilot boarding station for most large foreign flagged inbound vessels is two miles southeast of sea-buoys 3/4.

With the loss of daily gambling ship cruises, port authorities do not expect this high to be exceeded for some time.

In 1982, a 20,000 square feet (2,000 m2) warehouse on the north side of the port was converted into Cruise Terminal 1.

The following year the SS Royale of Premier Cruise Line was home-ported at Port Canaveral.

[46] In 2007, cement imports, tied to construction, was 13,917 short tons (12,625 t), a drop of 87.6% for the two-month comparison with the previous year.

[53] The celebration occurred over three days in early spring, and was co-hosted by the Cocoa Beach Area Chamber of Commerce and the Canaveral Port Authority.

In 2005, the final year of the festival at the port, 5,000 pounds (2,300 kg) of freshly caught fish, including flounder, Florida rock shrimp, blue crab claws and 100 US gallons (380 L; 83 imp gal) of seafood chowder were consumed at the festival.

This plan is implemented through a partnership of Canaveral Port Authority, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (Jacksonville District), and the State of Florida and Brevard County.