The present communication enumerates 40 taxa of Oscillatoriaceae from the brackish water wetlands of North 24-Parganas district of West Bengal. Out of the reported taxa, 12 are from each of Lyngbya and Oscillatoria, 6 from each of Phormidium and Spirulina, 2 belong to Schizothrix, and Hydrocoleum and Katagnymene are represented by one species each.

Mangrove forests are extraordinarily diverse coastal communities anchored by salt-tolerant plants along certain tropical seacoasts. Their distinctive aerial roots help to trap sediment, prevent shoreline erosion, and provide habitat for a variety of sea life. Their unique mode of viviparous reproduction (producing seeds that germinate before becoming detached from the parent plant) allows for the rapid dissemination of viable young plants. Mangrove swamps or forests are among the most productive wetlands on the planet.

If India as a country stands accused of failure to protect the national animal, the state of Uttar Pradesh is now on the verge of being indicted in the same manner for threatening the very existence of the state bird, the Sarus Crane, in the districts of Etawah and Mainpuri where it has been apparently flourishing. The U.P. Govt formed a Sarus Protection Society and earmarked Rs. 10 crores for the purpose, but it is lying in cold storage. (May 2008)