Bay of Bengal and Sundarbans

The world's largest mangrove forest, Sundarbans, straddles the tidal interface between land and sea in the northern Bay of Bengal. Home to two species of freshwater dolphins, tigers, and many other globally threatened wildlife, the ecosystem is under pressure from human activities and environmental changes. WCS’s research enabled the declaration of three Wildlife Sanctuaries for Freshwater Dolphins. WCS supports SMART enforcement and monitoring patrols that aim to help protect this World Heritage Site. Marine biodiversity is vital to Bangladesh's food security and economy. Overfishing threatens coastal fisheries and fishing livelihoods, with entangling fishing gears endangering cetaceans, sharks, rays, and turtles. WCS is working with citizen scientists from coastal communities to collect essential information to inform conservation management and improve at-sea safety.