Water quality metrics collected from reef water in the Flower Garden Banks National Marine Sanctuary in Mar 2023

These data include water quality metrics collected at a depth of around 20 meters in the Flower Garden Banks National Marine Sanctuary in March 2023. Measurements were taken in the West Flower Garden Banks near Buoy #5. Microbial cell abundances, total organic carbon concentrations, and total nitrogen concentrations were measured from water collected 2 m above the reefs. Understanding the physical and chemical properties of reef water is important for understanding the microbial conditions of coral reefs, which is important for understanding disease dynamics.