Bright red fish
Three flame cardinal fish hover close to the reef. Usually nocturnal, the fish are often seen in caves and dark places. They inhabit the nooks and crannies of the forest.
Sea life abounds
An endangered Kemp's Ridley turtle makes a living rummaging for food in the Underwater Forest. Remoras, or suckerfish, hitch a ride by sticking to the turtles back with a suction pad on the top of their heads.
World of life
A large school of vermillion snapper swarm over a stump that has been colonized by sponges in the Underwater Forest.
Exploring the forest
Dr. Martin Becker, a paleontologist from William Paterson University in New Jersey, studies the Underwater Forest.
Too close for comfort
Filmmaker Ben Raines has a close call with a small but inquisitive sandbar shark while filming in the Underwater Forest.
Ancient fossils
Fossilized sharks' teeth can be found by the hundreds in certain rivers in central Alabama, a hundred miles inland. The teeth were left behind from an era 100 million years ago, when a giant and ancient sea covered much of the United States.
Shark teeth
Fossilized sharks' teeth can be found by the hundreds in certain rivers in central Alabama, a hundred miles inland. The teeth were left behind from an era 100 million years ago, when a giant and ancient sea covered much of the United States.
Ancient ice age
The Underwater Forest dates to an ice age 60,000 years ago, when much of the water on Earth was frozen in glaciers. Here, a glacier in modern times.
Shoreline changes
This image shows the Gulf shoreline during an ice age 60,000 years ago. You can see the ancient shoreline, the modern shoreline, and the spot where the forest was found.
Underwater forest
This image shows the Gulf shoreline during an ice age 60,000 years ago. You can see the ancient shoreline, the modern shoreline, and the spot where the forest was found.
