March 29, 2021: Submerged Wood
Image courtesy of Francis Choi. Download larger version (jpg, 5.4 MB).
Nearly 60,000 years ago, a bald cypress forest flourished on the banks of a prehistoric river near the Gulf of Mexico. A team of scientists from Northeastern University and the University of Utah, funded by the NOAA Office of Ocean Exploration and Research, are working to unlock the forest’s secrets, including its potential to harbor new compounds for medicine and biotechnology. This image shows wood from the forest buried off the coast of Alabama that was uncovered by storms. Newly exposed wood offers a unique habitat for marine organisms and creates a novel ecosystem in the Gulf of Mexico.
From: Bioprospecting for Industrial Enzymes and Drug Compounds in an Ancient Submarine Forest.