The U.S. now recognizes Nassau grouper as a Threatened Species under the Endangered Species Act. Nassau grouper have been heavily harvested throughout its native range and many efforts are being placed to recover their populations (see here and here ). Along the Florida coastline they are considered to be commercially extinct, meaning their abundance is too low to harvest. This is a great recognition not only for grouper, but for all marine species as the Endangered Species Act currently protects only 139 marine species out of the 2,258 listed.  Click here and here to read the story on how Nassau grouper became listed.