The perfect calm: Reoccurring mass die-offs on a remote coral atoll

Abstract

Mass die-offs of coral reef fauna were observed on Dongsha Atoll (20.7°N 116.8°E) in the South China Sea during May–June of 2014 and 2015. These die-offs were potentially caused by hypoxia, although further investigations will help validate this hypothesis. Due to the wide range of species affected, the large area impacted (km in scale), and the reoccurring nature of these events, they may affect community compositions on Dongsha Atoll and ultimately modify organisms' responses to climate change. Objective The objective of our report is to describe the mortality of coral reef fauna that occurred in the Dongsha Atoll lagoon in 2014 and 2015.