Brea, CA -- (SBWire) -- 12/29/2014 --Water Defense and founder, Mark Ruffalo are pleased to announce the launch of an IndieGoGo campaign for oil spill cleanup efforts in the Sundarbans region of Bangladesh. This campaign started on Dec 23 and will close on January 07, 2015 (11:59pm PT). The campaign will bring a team of experts to the area along with needed supplies in order to help with the oil spill cleanup efforts.

The oil spill was the result of a December 9, 2014, collision between an oil tanker carrying about 77,000 gallons of furnace oil and an empty tanker. The loaded tanker had been at overnight anchor in the Sela River due to poor visibility caused by dense fog. The tanker capsized, spilling its cargo into the waterways of the Sundarbans Delta. The Bangladesh government created a sanctuary to protect rare and endangered species. It is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

The area is home to the largest mangrove forest in the world, as well as more than 300 species of plants, 150 species of fish, 270 species of birds, 42 species of mammals, 35 reptiles, and 8 amphibian species. Two amphibians, 14 reptiles, 25 aves, and five mammals living in the Sundarbans are endangered. Notable species affected are the rare Irrawaddy Dolphin, the endangered Bengal Tiger and the millions of humans who rely on the waters.

The IndieGoGo campaign has a goal of $111,000. It will be spent to send a small team and a sufficient quantity of open-celled foam, (OPFLEX), which acts as synthetic eel grass, to assist with the ongoing oil spill cleanup effort. Once on-site in the affected area, this team will deploy OPFLEX materials in the water along main anchoring lines and/or other structures such as boats. The deployment will include mesh belt booms configured into long rolls for deployment with boats, and the synthetic eel grass.

Scott Smith, Water Defense's Chief Scientist, is the inventor of OPFLEX technology, a synthetic eel grass able to remove approximately eighty percent of oil spills from water. The product was utilized by BP America during the Deepwater Horizon spill in 2010. It is approved by the government of Bermuda and by the Italian EPA

The breakdown of the expenses includes: deployment supplies including OPFLEX: $75,000; travel for five experts from the US: $25,000; and travel costs for local teams to revisit site five times over the next few months ($2,200 x 5): $11,000. Any additional funds raised will go toward helping communities in the area that are hard hit by the spill.

Please consider a donation today to support the work of Water Defense in Sundarbans.

To donate, visit the indiegogo campaign here: Sundarbans Oil Spill Response

About Water Defense
Water Defense is a 501(c)(3) organization dedicated to clean water, rooted in the belief that access to clean water is a fundamental human right. Its mission is to use technology and public engagement to inform people about what is in their water, to hold water polluters accountable, and to keep waterways and drinking water sources free from contamination and industrial degradation.

Company Name: Water Defense
Phone: 845-476-7039 or 617-236-0500
Email: info@waterdefense.org
Website: http://www.waterdefense.org/