Black Grouper

Photo: melindaanoatubby · CC BY-NC

Black grouper patrol the reef crest and upper wall at Jardines del Norte at sizes and densities that reflect the protection the atoll receives as a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve. Individuals exceeding 80 cm are seen regularly, ambushing prey from behind coral heads in a slow-hunting style that is mesmerising to watch from close range. Their recovery within the atoll demonstrates the direct ecological value of marine protected areas — outside the reserve boundary, black grouper of this size are almost never encountered in the Caribbean.