Off Mozambique's Bazaruto Archipelago, divers surveyed three submerged peat reefs formed from ancient coastal forests. Each reef hosted 26 to 36 species of small fish, even though live coral was absent. The peat dates back up to 5,000 years and now provides hard habitat on a seabed dominated by shifting sand. Juvenile snappers and grunts were common on the peat, suggesting the reefs act as nurseries similar to seagrass beds or mangroves. The study in Scientific Reports is careful not to call these blue carbon ecosystems, since the presence of marine life does not prove carbon sequestration. Researchers want peat reefs included in coastal management and conservation planning, especially where coral reefs are declining.
