Excitement levels were high during the 2023 Fish Spawning Aggregation monitoring season. We couldn’t believe it when we observed for the first time the spawning of Tiger, Nassau and Yellowfin Groupers in two of our three monitoring sites in Cordelia Banks and Man of War Cay. What was even more exciting was the sheer numbers of fish - we saw over 400 individual Nassuas and Yellowfins and 300 Tigers during April.
While it’s normal for Tigers and Yellowfins in the rest of the Caribbean to spawn in the spring, it’s not for Nassau Groupers which spawn during winter. This difference may be due to the intense fishing pressure which this species of Grouper faces.
Since these species are endangered and spawn only once a year, it is important to use spawning events like these as a way to monitor their populations and ensure their protection. We are already making plans for next year’s monitoring season!
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