Flooded Ice Age Forest Revealing its Secrets | The Institute for Creation Research

Flooded Ice Age Forest Revealing its Secrets

Tim Clarey, Ph.D., and Frank Sherwin, M.A.

The recent discovery of a flooded Ice Age forest in Mobile Bay, Alabama, has scientists diving for even more hidden secrets.1 In December 2019, a team of scientists from Northeastern University and the University of Utah took the Research Vessel E.O. Wilson to collect some pieces of the ancient trees.2 But these scientists weren’t just looking for wood samples, they were after shipworms, a clam that converts wood to animal tissue.1

The currently underwater forest of bald cypress trees grew above sea level during the Ice Age, and are claimed by uniformitarian scientists to be 60,000 years old.1 These trees flourished along the Gulf Coast while sheets of ice still covered the northern portions of the United States and Canada.

At the end of the Ice Age, sea level rose several hundred feet,3 placing these trees about 60 feet below today’s ocean surface. River and coastal sediment then buried the ancient forest until 2004 when Hurricane Ivan swept the protective layer of mud and sand away.1,2

After two days of diving last December, the science team had extracted more than 300 animals from several large well-preserved pieces of wood.1

Brian Helmuth, one of the scientist team members from Northeastern University was a bit surprised by the spectacular preservation of the wood, telling CNN: “It really looked like something that you could have picked up from today. It still had bark on it. It still had all the coloration on the inside. It was just locked away for 60,000 years.”1

The spectacular preservation should not be a surprise. Creation scientists would argue this wood is not 60,000 years old, but is only about 4,000 years old. We agree these trees grew during a time of lower sea level. We interpret this as occurring during the post-Flood Ice Age. But we assert that the evidence does not support the uniformitarian great age of this forest. The preservation of these trees is too pristine.

And secondly, why didn’t the shipworms and bacteria totally devour or decompose the wood if these trees were really 60,000 years old? That’s a lot of time for biologic degradation. The secular argument that they were “preserved” by a lack of oxygen is simply insufficient. There are plenty of anaerobic bacteria that could do the job.

What secrets will be revealed by the critters found in these trees? So far, the scientists have isolated 100 strains of bacteria from shipworms in the wood. Many of these bacteria were previously unknown and 12 are currently being evaluated for use in new drugs.1 Bacteria from shipworms has previously resulted in at least one antibiotic to treat parasitic infections.1

The secrets of the Ice Age are still being revealed. New sites are continually being uncovered. And the shipworms within these well-preserved trees may even provide much-needed medicinal relief for future generations. God truly had a plan for the Ice Age.

Stage image: Underwater forest of bald cypress trees in Mobile Bay, Alabama.
Stage image credit: Francis Choi/NOAA. Copyright © 2020. Adapted for use in accordance with federal copyright (fair use doctrine) law. Usage by ICR does not imply endorsement of copyright holders.


References
1. Lee, A. 2020. Scientists uncover a 60,000-year-old forest underwater and think its preserved trees may help pioneer new medicines. CNN. Posted on wnem.com April 7, 2020, accessed April 9, 2020.
2. Staff Writer. August-December 2020. Bioprospecting for Industrial Enzymes and Drug Compounds in an Ancient Submarine Forest. NOAA Ocean Exploration and Research. Posted on oceanexplorer.noaa.com, accessed April 13, 2020.
3. Clarey, T. 2020. Carved in Stone. Dallas, TX: Institute for Creation Research, 354-377.

*Dr. Clarey is Research Associate at the Institute for Creation Research and earned his doctorate in geology from Western Michigan University. Mr. Sherwin is Research Associate at the Institute for Creation Research and earned his master’s in invertebrate zoology from the University of Northern Colorado.

 

The Latest
NEWS
April 2025 ICR Wallpaper
"But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all things...

NEWS
Human Evolution and the Inner Ear
The vain attempt by evolutionists to make an evolutionary connection between people and ape-like ancestors continues. This time, it is in regard to...

CREATION PODCAST
Defending the Faith with a Rocket Scientist | Creation.Live Podcast:...
How do engineering principles, biological complexity, and a solid understanding of apologetics work together to further the cause of Christ? Why...

NEWS
Aerobic and Anaerobic Hot Spring Bacteria
God designed a domain of prokaryotes called Archaea that thrive in harsh and extreme environments. In 1969, two microbiologists, Thomas Brock and Hudson...

CREATION PODCAST
The Soulless Hominid Theory: A Fatal Flaw in Old Earth Creationism...
Welcome to the second episode in a series called “The Failures of Old Earth Creationism.” Many Christians attempt to fit...

NEWS
Humpback Whale Calls Echo Creation
There is nothing simple about the system of communication called language, whether animal or human.1 Human language is a very sophisticated...

NEWS
Mary Parker, Creation Ministry Partner of Dr. Gary Parker, Is...
Mary Parker, the wife and co-laborer of Dr. Gary Parker, went home to be with her Lord on March 20, 2025. Dr. Parker was a popular and effective...

NEWS
Plants Rely on Quantum Mechanics
Scientists will probably never fully understand photosynthesis as additional research uncovers even more fascinating mysteries.1,2 ICR’s...

NEWS
Martian Polar Ice Cap ''Surprisingly Young''?
A team of German planetary scientists has concluded that a three-kilometer-thick northern polar ice cap on Mars has a “surprisingly young”...

NEWS
''Blood Worm Moon'' Total Lunar Eclipse 2025
Barring cloud cover, about 75% of the country saw the total lunar eclipse, aka the “Blood Worm Moon.” Texas had good weather conditions...