48–41 million years ago

Bracklesham Bay

Geological time

Pal Eocene Oligocene

Age: 48–41 million years ago
Period: Middle Eocene (Lutetian)
Formation: Various formations of the Bracklesham Group
Depositional environment: Warm, shallow coastal sea, ranging from nearshore sands and tidal channels to quieter offshore muddy seafloors, with occasional estuarine and lagoonal influence.
Fossil types: Abundant marine molluscs, shark and ray teeth, bony fish remains, sea turtles, crocodilians, sea snakes, corals, foraminifera (Nummulites), crustaceans, and occasional plant material
Paleoecology highlights: A warm subtropical coastline with shifting sandy shoals, tidal channels, sheltered lagoons and muddy offshore bottoms

Imagine a broad, warm Eocene sea stretching beneath a bright subtropical sky. Close to shore, tides sweep across sandy shallows while farther out the water deepens over quieter, muddier ground. Storms occasionally churn the seabed and rearrange the coastline. It is an open, sunlit sea - warm, shallow, and rich with life.