SOUTH PADRE ISLAND – More species of fish are flourishing just off the coast of South Padre Island. A nonprofit is making it happen.

On Tuesday, Friends of RGV Reef began the second phase their ecosystem project. Since 2015, the organization has been creating one of the largest industrial scale reefs, according to biologists.

“You have to create a structure for the fish to get out of the current to allow them to rest and to start to create habitat and food that will keep them on the reef and grow them through their life stages,” explained Curtis Hayungs, board member and a founder of Friends of RGV Reef.

About 200 pound piles of concrete railroad ties were dumped into the Gulf to kick off the next phase of the reef construction.

Watch the video above for the full report.