A drowned forest off Mozambique is alive with reef life

Beneath the shallow waters of Mozambique's Bazaruto Archipelago, researchers from the Bazaruto Center for Scientific Studies — Africa's first permanent ocean observatory — have documented something never mapped in the tropics before: reefs built not of coral but of ancient peat, the remains of coastal forests flooded as seas rose over the past 5,000 years. Each surveyed peat reef held 26 to 36 small fish species, diversity comparable to a nearby coral reef, and sheltered lobsters, oysters, turtles and young reef fish. The peer-reviewed work, in Scientific Reports, argues these overlooked habitats deserve a place on conservation maps.

SDG 14 · Life below water