New benches were placed at Isla Blanca Park at South Padre Island in honor of Gary Glick.

Glick is the founder of the group Friends of the RGV Reef. The group is dedicated to preserving and increasing marine habitat in the Gulf.

The benches are a way to honor Glick's work. 

Some of that work includes an artificial reef project that was made by five sunken vessels. The reef is now giving a safe habitat for fish in the area. 

"We started off with an area that was barren sand and mud. We surveyed it before, there wasn't any fish material down. There were a few fish here and there, but they were mainly sand and mud associated fish. And now we have fish on every structure that we put down. We've made an entire ecosystem," UTRGV School of Earth, Environmental and Marine Sciences Professor Richard Kline said.

Organizers with Friends of the RGV Reef say they're starting another reefing project at the island later this year.