There are three to four times the number of snapper inside the reserve as outside and up to ten times the number of crayfish.

Very old snapper—some known by name—are common in the reserve, a reminder that many fish live their entire lives on one reef. They are residents of the gulf, with relationships to other fish and sites that may come as a surprise to fishers who just reel them up. Also obvious at Goat Island are the flourishing kelp, sponges and algae that fall prey to armies of kina in sites where snapper are not protected.