A team of scuba divers say they have discovered an ancient underwater Bald Cypress forest about 52,000 years old, covering an area of about 0.5 square miles, preserved perfectly for over 50,000 years about 60 feet (18 meters) below the surface of the Gulf of Mexico, in an oxygen-free environment, under layers of ocean sediments, several miles off the coast of Mobile, Alabama.
The primeval forest is preserved perfectly in pristine condition. However, the study and exploration of the underwater landscape must commence urgently because, with its massive trees it served as an artificial reef for fish and other wood-burrowing marine mammals that could destroy it in a few years.
The forest was likely uncovered by Hurricane Katrina in 2005. It was part of an ancient river channel running through the area.
According to the scientists that plan to study the site further, the growth rings of the trees could reveal a lot of information about the climate of the region thousands of years back. Of special interest is a period thousands of years ago called the Wisconsin Glacial.
Bald Cypress trees are common in the swamps of southern US and grow up to 120 feet tall. They provide natural barrier and protect the coastline from hurricanes by acting as "Speed bumps." However, extensive logging and draining of the wetlands has removed the natural barrier and exposed cities along the coastline, such as New Orleans, to the full force of hurricane surges.
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