The coastal parks are two of the top priorities of the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department as it begins the process of recovering from Ike’s impact in southeast and northeast Texas, according to the department’s executive director, Carter Smith.

Smith said the full extent of the Ike’s damage isn’t known. He expects to have some idea of the short-term impacts of the storm on Texas wildlife within the next few weeks. He also said TPWD will be working with state universities to study habitats and determine some of the long-term effects.

"Doing that will be very important for hunters, fishermen and other outdoor enthusiasts who want to enjoy the natural surroundings in those areas," Smith said. "It’s going to be an ever-evolving process."

But nearly a week after Ike hit land on Texas’ coast, Smith said the devastation could’ve been a lot worse.

One of the positive impacts Hurricane Ike brought to the Texas coast was the spillover of saltwater into freshwater marshes. The water is killing vegetation in the marshes that can be bad for the habitat and wildlife that lives there. The storm also spared restoration in these marshes.

The "Fishing for Energy" partnership is an initiative between Covanta Energy, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Marine Debris Program, the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation (NFWF), and Schnitzer Steel Industries, Inc. to help coastal communities reduce the amount of abandoned fishing gear that ends up in the nation's oceans.