Cypress swamps all over the Atlantic coastal plain have faced numerous threats since the mid 1800’s including industrial logging and draining of wetlands. Today, rising sea levels, prolonged drought, storm surges and even dredging activities are killing swaths of cypress trees, creating what scientists call “ghost forests,” where once freshwater ecosystems are becoming saline. These sun-bleached forests, photographed on the Cape Fear River in NC, are alarming to see, especially considering the oldest cypress trees in the world are just upstream on the Black River, a tributary of the Cape Fear. Photographed for @natgeo and now in the May special issue, Saving Forests. Thank you, @kurtmutchler and @afarrar for the assignment, @thewildstein for assisting, and to @southwings and pilot Robert Searfoss for donating these flights.