That is sad to hear... the reefs are the only thing that country has going for it.
I have been wanting to go to the Dominican Republic, everyone says it is great to visit, the beaches are beautiful and the hotels are great (which will keep the little lady happy) but I’ve heard the reefs are trashed and the diving is not so good... though on the bright side anything down there is way better than a quarry in the mid-west :-). At least you had good visibility.