Peat from ancient forests off Mozambique dates back up to about 5,000 years

Sometimes, drowning can give someone (or something) a new lease on life. This is a 5000 year old story of a drowned forest off Mozambique, which have now become living reefs.Off the coast of Mozambique, beneath the shallow waters near Bazaruto, scientists have found the remains of forests that died thousands of years ago, but are now supporting life in the sea.

This new study published in Scientific Reports describes the ancient terrestrial forests ‘reborn’ as modern marine ecosystems under shifting sea levels.Forests that became seabedThe story begins with sea-level change. After the last Ice Age, melting ice raised global sea levels, gradually flooding low-lying coastal land.

In the Bazaruto region, swampy forests and peaty ground were submerged. Over time, waves and currents removed much of the surrounding sediment, leaving patches of ancient peat exposed like hard, uneven platforms on the ocean floor.Radiocarbon dating suggests the peat ranges from about 300 to 5,000 years old.