The Lost Forest: An Unexpected Discovery beneath the Waves

by Jennifer Swanson

Take a deep dive with scientists exploring a sunken cypress forest that had been undisturbed in the Gulf of Mexico for fifty thousand years. Page Plus links lead to videos of the scientists at work.

Genres: Nonfiction, Nature, Middle Grade, Science

56 pages, Library Binding

Published April 2, 2024

About the author

Science Rocks! And so do Jennifer Swanson’s books. She is the award-winning author of over 45 nonfiction books for children. Using her background in science and history that she received from the U.S. Naval Academy, and her M.S. in Education, Jennifer excels at taking complex facts and making them accessible, compelling, and humorous for young readers, Jennifer's passion for science resonates in in all her books but especially, Astronaut-Aquanaut: How Space Science and Sea Science Interact and BEASTLY BIONICS which both received Florida Book Awards and NSTA BEST STEM book awards. Her Save the Crash-test Dummies book received an NSTA BEST STEM Award and a Parent’s Choice GOLD Award. Jennifer has been a featured speaker at the Tucson Book Festival, National NSTA conferences, the Highlights Foundation, the World Science Festival (twice), the Atlanta Science Festival (twice) and the Library of Congress’ National Book Festival in 2019. You can find Jennifer through her website www.JenniferSwansonBooks.com.

Reviews

[Brooke - TheBrookeList · Rating 3 out of 5]

The Lost Forest reads a little like a science journal for kids, exploring not necessarily the Lost Forest itself, but the scientific journey to study the lost forest. In the Gulf of Mexico, just off the coast of Alabama, an entire forest of cypress trees, was recently uncovered by hurricane winds and shifting sands. The forest is a scientific marvel, and this book details the dive team and process of attempting to study it. Each chapter shows steps the scientists are taking, documents how their dive conditions impacted their work, and explains many of the tools used to collect specimens and attempt to map the underwater forest. The work is recent enough, the area hasn't been protected yet and so many of the discoveries that will be made are still forthcoming. It's a unique journey into the study of science that shows how much work each little step really entails.

Read as a nomination in the nonfiction book award category as a panelist for Children's and Young Adult Bloggers' Literary Awards (Cybils Awards).

While some photos of the process are included (diving, boats, labs, etc), I was a little surprised to find that these are so few photos of the forest, but appreciate the links and extras to addl video information.

[Kathy Temean · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a fascinating book. It is hard to believe that this 60 thousand-year-old underwater Forest was discovered in 2005 and most people have never heard anything about it. If you are interested in the wonders of our world, then you will want to read this book. If you are an educator, you will want to read this book and share its knowledge with everyone you meet. If you are a parent, you will want to share this book with your child, open up their world, inspire them to want to learn more and discover new scientific adventures.

This book is jam-packed with information like, radiocarbon dating, how it was applied, and the equipment they used. It helps children learn about atmospheric pressure, decompression, shipworms, and how they have a shell that acts like a drill bit to burrow into their favorite food – wood. Those shipworms have been doing this for over 170 million years ago when the dinosaurs roamed the Earth.

Scientists consider this ancient forest a scientific gold mine and think by studying the world as it was thousands of years ago they might find answers to climate change and be able to predict the future.

I love that this book is filled with QR codes that the reader can scan to watch the underwater videos and listen to the OGL team discussions. The back matter and glossary are great. Amazon lists this book as 8 to 14 years old, but I think older teens and adults will love reading this book, too. I plan to read it two or three times more.

[Melissa · Rating 4 out of 5]

A cypress forest, submerged in the Gulf of Mexico is accidentally discovered by fishermen and gives scientists a peek into the ancient past. Swanson excels at modeling scientific inquiry, providing windows into real-world science practice and giving readers information to understand how discoveries are made. Unlike books where results unfold smoothly, here bad weather, limited funding and other real-world pressures affect the outcome. Likewise the inherently murky nature of underwater photographs and the snapshot quality of others diminishes their visual impact, but provides an accurate, intimate glimpse of an onboard expedition. Page Plus codes link to videos of the scientists at work. An excellent resource for showcasing scientific practice and some surprising results. Best suited for 6th - 8th grades. Thanks to Millbrook and NetGalley for an Advance Readers Copy in return for an unbiased review.

[Lisa Davidson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fantastic book with amazing photos showing how real science and research work. Scientists go to a secret location to get samples of an old forest. The sediment is moving around so much it's hard to see for much of that first trip, but the scientists get a lot of samples to bring back and study. Weather also hampers their efforts.
The second trip gives them a much better view of this hidden forest. The whole idea that there are all these remains underwater is so amazing and scientists can learn a lot by studying these remains.
Before you start reading, download a QR reader . There are several codes you can scan to see live exploration and hear the parties talking.
I highly recommend this as a source for middle and high school so kids can learn what scientists can do.
Thanks to NetGalley for letting me read this

[Sandy Brehl · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a photo-rich revelation of millenia-old underwater cedar forest that was once on land. That hook alone will ahve curious readers intrigued. The many related aspects of the marine studies this book documents could spawn future marine biologists/scientists. The text and labeled photos and insets offer STEM elements a plenty, while the studies involve climate change, discovering brand-new life forms (bacteria level, dealing with storms, descriptions of pure science careers in practice, and engaging extra spreads showing steps in gDNA retrieval from shipworm gills and other processes.
Back matter (and from matter) follow standard informational text patterns (table of contents, index, resources, glossary, etc. adding to then usefulness of this bookmnot only as an inspiring read but as a resource/reference material.

[Martha Meyer · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wonderful deep dive on how marine science is done! Travel along on an expedition to research the remains of a land forest from 50,000 years ago. Learn about your fellow scientists and their deep interest in shipworms - sea creatures that can digest wood in a marine environment and how they prepare the way for explosion of sea life. Find out what kind of discoveries might result from the research. Gain an understanding of how our oceans boundaries have changed over time and how much more change we are introducing now. Thrilling science reading for kids 3rd grade and up through middle school.

[Miss Klipfel · Rating 5 out of 5]

A wonderful book that takes readers into the amazing discovery of the underwater forest. Readers are given real-life pictures and descriptions of current events in science in this nonfiction book. The QR codes throughout the book truly bring the story to life by giving voice to all the scientists and aquanauts uncovering this truly amazing location. Highly recommend for your classroom library or young reader to learn and discover underneath the waves!

[Elizabeth · Rating 5 out of 5]

With her usual amazing skills for science writing, Jennifer Swanson brings the reader on a fascinating ocean journey of discovery in this nonfiction book for middle grade ages. A team finds evidence of a forest lying deep beneath the surface of the Gulf of Mexico - and we get to follow along and learn about marine creatures (shipworms, so weird!) and learn all kinds of great stuff along the way. Wonderful resource for budding ocean scientists.

[Ember Moto · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fascinating book on a little know fairly recent discovery. I did not know that this underwater forest existed so it was interesting to read this book and learn about this unique site. The book is packed full of information on the topic but it is present in a way that never leaves the reading feeling overwhelmed. The information is accompanied by truly stunning photos.

[Jami Ellis · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting and informative, but not really what I like to read about. I know there are some kids out there who would be interested.

[Yapha · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really interesting look at the discovery and scientific exploration of an ancient underwater forest off the coast of Alabama. For grades 3 & up.

[Lindsay · Rating 5 out of 5]

THE LOST FOREST by Jennifer Swanson is a captivating account of the discovery and scientific exploration of an ancient cypress forest submerged beneath the Gulf of Mexico. Discovered in 2005, this “underwater forest” was initially noticed by local fisherman who found “large schools of fish” gathering in the area. When divers explored the site, they were stunned by the ancient landscape, describing it as “an otherworldly experience where you knew you were in this ancient place.” Swanson, who was invited to join the research team, blends first-hand experience with expert insight into the expedition with a unique challenge of conducting research during a pandemic.

The book chronicles the team’s dives to this secret location where they battled murky waters and strong currents. Despite these obstacles, they collected hundreds of samples from the forest, described as a “wooden whale fall” for its rich ecosystem. Among the most exciting finds were shipworms, whose unique ability to digest cellulose could lead to groundbreaking medical discoveries, including new antibiotics and cancer treatments.

Swanson’s engaging writing not only illuminates the scientific process, but inspires curiosity and wonder of our world’s untapped mysteries, particularly for prospective scientists. THE LOST FOREST delves into the world of research where new discoveries continue to reshape our understanding of the past.