Oculina Bank - is the coral dying?

Footage from a December 4, 2021, dive to Jeff's Reef on Oculina Bank, approximately 17 nautical miles east of Ft. Pierce, Florida. Compared to footage from the 1980s and 1990s, healthy coral coverage on the ridges appears significantly reduced. While there are small clumps of live Oculina varicosa, known as ivory tree coral, spread about the area, there are also a large number of dying clusters. Unlike shallow-water coral that turns white when dead (known as bleaching), deep-water Oculina varicosa coral is stark white when alive and healthy.
It is unclear what is responsible for the impacts: natural succession of the coral (boom-bust cycle), recent water discharges from Lake Okeechobee, recent hurricanes (e.g., Matthew in 2016), or some other cause. Given the amount of intact dead/dying coral clusters, impacts from fishing does not seem suspect in this case (though fishery-related impacts are well documented to Oculina habitat).
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[@SurfaceIntervalDiving]

Perfect Project Baseline site Barney, indeed the coral is dying, and likely for the same reasons we're losing most of the coral along our reefs here off of South Florida. It's really sad to see it happening right in front of our eyes.

[@182436hike]

Big difference from the HBOI video. Now hardly any live coral and no scamp grouper. Only one bank butterfly probably because it found cover in the cinder block. Pretty damned depressing.

[@aocfishman00]

Agreed. Sad.

[@AM-el4iv]

Wow so sad. Would be interesting to know if rate of dying has been increasing through the years or has been a stable death.

[@arthapancingtv560]

Very good video .thanks

[@Anuakfishing]

Good

[@HighSpeedPursuit1]

Doesn't look good, but I am no scientist.

[@primate2744]

It must have for sure been because of those dastardly recreational fishermen dragging their dredges across the bottom there thousands of times...oh, wait, that was someone else.

[@thebs3335]

What a heartbreak to see this reef in peril 💔🪸🌊

[@arthapancingtv560]

First mr