Underground Explorers

The Indian Sundarbans, covering 4,260 square kilometers and are the world's largest contiguous mangrove forest. This ecoregion is UNESCO World Heritage and a Ramsar Site. Which are located in the Ganges-Brahmaputra-Meghna delta in the West Bengal Province of India-Bangladesh. The region is home to Heritiera fomes and Avicennia alongside famed Bengal tiger and other IUCN-listed animals dolphins and bird species. Santal, Munda, Oraon, Ho, and Bhumij are the indigenous groups that depend upon fishing, honey harvesting, and ecotourism. The Sundarbans serve a key role in carbon sequestration, controlling coastal hydrology, and functioning as natural storm barriers, thereby minimizing the impacts of climate change.The Indian Sundarbans' fungal diversity is threatened by rising sea levels, salinization, overtourism and climate change-driven habitat fragmentation, disrupting soil and water balances. Ineffective conservation policies prioritize flagship species over microbial biodiversity, leaving fungi vulnerable to habitat loss, undermining ecosystem services like carbon sequestration and coastal protection.