Thousands of Years Ago, This Seafloor Was a Forest. Now It’s Something Else Entirely

Beneath the shallow coastal waters of the Bazaruto Archipelago in Mozambique, researchers have discovered the remains of ancient forests that were submerged thousands of years ago—reborn as a thriving marine ecosystem.

The reefs had formed between 3,000 and 5,000 years ago from coastal land plants and trees and are primarily made of the compressed remains of coastal swamps and forests, according to researchers from the Bazaruto Center for Scientific Studies (BCSS) Ocean Observatory. The findings, detailed in a study published…