Diving Looe Key, Florida Keys

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Video made 7 March 2023 while diving with Captain Hook's Scuba Center of Big Pine Key.
Looe Key Reef is very shallow (30 ft max depth, mostly 25 ft) with no drop off, formerly having very large live coral heads. Hard coral cover is now a small fraction of what it was in the past, but what's left looks good. Some observations:
(1) Huge parrotfishes! Shows that marine park protection works! Also, schools of large blue tangs. Lots of herbivory by fishes. As a consequence, seaweed abundance is low, and pink coralline algal crusts are easily seen. Listen to the sound of large parrotfishes grazing (4:07).
(2) Sea fans are thriving, no evidence of sea fan disease (aspergillosis) that was a much-discussed emerging threat in the 1990s.
(3) Lots of black grouper. Small snappers and grunts hide in sea fans showing fear of reef sharks, which are present (9:30, 10:10).
(4) Tragic loss of many large coral heads (4:20). But, higher coral survivorship than expected with recent SCTLD outbreaks. Out-planted staghorn corals seem to be doing well.
(5) Surprisingly large giant barrel sponges for a very shallow site.
(6) Despite hiding behavior of fishes, parrots and other fishes were remarkably unafraid of divers.

[@HanaLaz]

Great video! Parrotfish look so calm. Lots of the big ones!

[@matalens48]

Amazing video my friend. Keep spirit

[@ggiscuba6436]

Beautiful shot my friend

[@never2old-sd638]

Awesome 💪

[@willcobb5567]

Hey Joe/Aquapedia, im passing through Wilmington here in Wrightsville on the ICW. Was just thinking about our great dive trip in roatan. Let me know if your in town

[@PawlikLab]

Sorry I missed you, Will! I don't check this site very often.