Underwater Forrest Vocabulary words

But because scuba divers often take artifacts from shipwrecks and other sites, the dive shop owner refused to disclose the location for many years, Raines said.

Despite its discovery only recently, the underwater landscape has just a few years to be explored, before wood-burrowing marine animals destroy the ancient forest.

The dive shop owner confided that a local fisherman had found a site teeming with fish and wildlife and suspected that something big was hidden below.

Scuba divers have discovered a primeval underwater forest off the coast of Alabama.

The stumps of the cypress trees span an area of at least 0.5 square miles (1.3 kilometers), several miles from the coast of Mobile, Ala., and sit about 60 feet (18 meters) below the surface of the Gulf of Mexico.

Raines then did his own dive and discovered a primeval cypress swamp in pristine condition.

The forest had become an artificial reef, attracting fish, crustaceans, sea anemones and other underwater life burrowing between the roots of dislodged stumps.

Despite its discovery only recently, the underwater landscape has just a few years to be explored, before wood-burrowing marine animals destroy the ancient forest.

The trees' growth rings could reveal secrets about the climate of the Gulf of Mexico thousands of years ago, during a period known as the Wisconsin Glacial period, when sea levels were much lower than they are today.

In 2012, the owner finally revealed the site's location after swearing Raines to secrecy.

The research team created a sonar map of the area and analyzed two samples Raines took from trees.

The dive shop owner confided that a local fisherman had found a site teeming with fish and wildlife and suspected that something big was hidden below.

The forest contains trees so well-preserved that when they are cut, they still smell like fresh cypress sap, Raines said.

The forest contains trees so well-preserved that when they are cut, they still smell like fresh cypress sap, Raines said.

But because scuba divers often take artifacts from shipwrecks and other sites, the dive shop owner refused to disclose the location for many years, Raines said.

The stumps of the cypress trees span an area of at least 0.5 square miles (1.3 kilometers), several miles from the coast of Mobile, Ala., and sit about 60 feet (18 meters) below the surface of the Gulf of Mexico.

Harley was intrigued, and together with geographer Kristine DeLong of Louisiana State University, set out to discover the site's secrets.

The team, which has not yet published their results in a peer-reviewed journal, is currently applying for grants to explore the site more thoroughly.

Raines then did his own dive and discovered a primeval cypress swamp in pristine condition.

The stumps of the cypress trees span an area of at least 0.5 square miles (1.3 kilometers), several miles from the coast of Mobile, Ala., and sit about 60 feet (18 meters) below the surface of the Gulf of Mexico.

The research team created a sonar map of the area and analyzed two samples Raines took from trees.

"These stumps are so big, they're upwards of two meters in diameter — the size of trucks," Harley told OurAmazingPlanet.

The forest had become an artificial reef, attracting fish, crustaceans, sea anemones and other underwater life burrowing between the roots of dislodged stumps.

The forest had become an artificial reef, attracting fish, crustaceans, sea anemones and other underwater life burrowing between the roots of dislodged stumps.

[Images: Mysterious Underwater Stone Structure] Some of the trees were truly massive, and many logs had fallen over before being covered by ocean sediment.

The stumps of the cypress trees span an area of at least 0.5 square miles (1.3 kilometers), several miles from the coast of Mobile, Ala., and sit about 60 feet (18 meters) below the surface of the Gulf of Mexico.

The team, which has not yet published their results in a peer-reviewed journal, is currently applying for grants to explore the site more thoroughly.

The forest contains trees so well-preserved that when they are cut, they still smell like fresh cypress sap, Raines said.

The dive shop owner confided that a local fisherman had found a site teeming with fish and wildlife and suspected that something big was hidden below.

Because of the forest depth, scuba divers can stay below only for about 40 minutes before coming up.

Scuba divers have discovered a primeval underwater forest off the coast of Alabama.

[Images: Mysterious Underwater Stone Structure] Some of the trees were truly massive, and many logs had fallen over before being covered by ocean sediment.

Despite its discovery only recently, the underwater landscape has just a few years to be explored, before wood-burrowing marine animals destroy the ancient forest.

The bald cypress forest was buried under ocean sediments, protected in an oxygen-free environment for more than 50,000 years, but was likely uncovered by Hurricane Katrina in 2005, said Ben Raines, one of the first divers to explore the underwater forest and the executive director of the nonprofit Weeks Bay Foundation, which researches estuaries.

The team, which has not yet published their results in a peer-reviewed journal, is currently applying for grants to explore the site more thoroughly.

[Images: Mysterious Underwater Stone Structure] Some of the trees were truly massive, and many logs had fallen over before being covered by ocean sediment.

The bald cypress forest was buried under ocean sediments, protected in an oxygen-free environment for more than 50,000 years, but was likely uncovered by Hurricane Katrina in 2005, said Ben Raines, one of the first divers to explore the underwater forest and the executive director of the nonprofit Weeks Bay Foundation, which researches estuaries.

The trees' growth rings could reveal secrets about the climate of the Gulf of Mexico thousands of years ago, during a period known as the Wisconsin Glacial period, when sea levels were much lower than they are today.

Because of the forest depth, scuba divers can stay below only for about 40 minutes before coming up.

Despite its discovery only recently, the underwater landscape has just a few years to be explored, before wood-burrowing marine animals destroy the ancient forest.

Raines swam the length of the logs.