Galveston County has partnered with the Houston Zoo and Galveston Park Board to bring five educational murals to the 16-foot-tall seawall along the new Babe’s Beach.

The murals will feature animals that live in or near the water, like turtles, pelicans and dolphins. Kirsten Ufer with the Houston Zoo said most importantly, each design includes a message of sustainability and the harmful effects of pollution.

“I never really knew until I worked at the zoo how much plastics affect sea life,” Ufer said. “Balloons, fishing line, all of those things that are taken for granted when people come to the beach, they have no idea how terrible it is for wildlife here.”

Parks Director Julie Diaz said that’s a message the county definitely supports.

“We thought it would be a great way to promote conservation and sea life in the area,” Diaz said.

Painting the murals is a Houston graffiti artist known as GONZO247.

“This artist grew up in Houston and has family in Galveston so it’s close to his heart as well,” Ufer said.

The murals are expected to be completed by September. Both islanders and visitors are eager to see the new art and the impact it will have on local wildlife.