Panama Pork Fish Parade

Few scientists could have "dreamt of such an extraordinary recovery of marine life at Cabo Pulmo," Sala said in a statement (pictured, Panama porkfish swim by a Cabo Pulmo reef).

Yet the protection model has been known to work, he added: "We know from studies of hundreds of reserves around the world that effective protection results universally in huge increases of biomass of fish," he said.

"In this place the recovery has been exceptionally good."

Pictures: Best Marine Park? Booming Fish Leap and Swarm

Save the Goliath Groupers

Goliath groupers gather annually in spawning aggregations at offshore reefs and wreck sites throughout the Caribbean and parts of Florida. During filming for Americas Underwater Treasures, a two-hour PBS special documenting all the U.S. National Marine Sanctuaries as part of the Ocean Adventures series, Jean-Michel, Fabien and Celine Cousteau witness a congregation of these enormous fish. Dive under the waves with them in this short film and discover the goliath grouper.