Nassau grouper

Once the dominant large predator on Caribbean reefs, Nassau grouper was fished nearly to extinction across the basin over the 20th century. Their absence has cascading effects — removing a top predator destabilises prey fish populations and indirectly weakens reef resilience. At Punta Sal, protected park status has allowed grouper populations to partially recover, and fish up to 70 cm are regularly observed hovering at cleaning stations or patrolling coral heads. Their presence is treated by scientists as a secondary indicator of ecosystem recovery alongside coral cover.