Microbial Community Dynamics Provide Evidence for Hypoxia during a Coral Reef Mortality Event.

In July 2016, a severe coral reef invertebrate mortality event occurred approximately 200 km southeast of Galveston, Texas, at the East Flower Garden Bank, wherein ∼82% of corals in a 0.06-km area died. Based on surveys of dead corals and other invertebrates shortly after this mortality event, responders hypothesized that localized hypoxia was the most likely direct cause.