Introduction

Abstract

The topic “Mangrove Ichnology of the Bay of Bengal coast, eastern India”, before entering into subjective details, deserves a comprehensive introduction to the (1) historical background of the subject Ichnology, (2) regional geotectonic and stratigraphic aspects of the Bengal Basin, which is the cradle of world’s largest delta complex (the Ganga-Brahmaputra-Meghna or simply the Bengal Delta Complex) that now prograde southward into the Bay of Bengal Sea and (3) general ecological (including geomorphological, sedimentological and environmental details; biodiversity and known endangered species; adaptations of trace-making faunas; importance and recognitions of the coastal mangroves) and Quaternary geological aspects of the mangrove-vegetated coastal belt of the Bengal Delta Complex, known popularly as the Sundarban Mangrove deltas, that geographically extends over the eastern India and Bangladesh. Besides discussion on the scopes and objectives and materials and methods of the present work, this chapter addresses all the said introductory aspects of the topic of the book.