Saving Seafood

Biden-Harris Administration announces plans to support seven multi-year projects to advance climate resilience in remote Alaskan communities

November 14, 2024 — The following was released by NOAA Fisheries:

Today, the Department of Commerce and NOAA announced it will award $1 million for seven recommended multi-year projects supporting remote Alaska communities through the Alaska Fisheries Science Center Indigenous Engagement Program. This investment is funded by the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA), a crucial part of the Biden-Harris Administration’s Investing in America agenda.

The recommended projects will advance NOAA Fisheries’ ability to support climate resilience and food security in remote Alaska communities, engage Indigenous Knowledge holder voices in NOAA Fisheries’ science and management and strengthen collaborations with tribal governments and Indigenous communities. The first year of funding will be distributed in 2025 and totals approximately $500,000.

“Just treatment, respect for tribal sovereignty and climate resiliency benefits all people and communities,” said U.S. Secretary of Commerce Gina Raimondo. “The Department of Commerce and NOAA will continue to incorporate Indigenous Knowledge into our existing science and form partnerships, internships and educational opportunities that create equitable exchanges and help communities take action against climate change.”

NOAA Fisheries is recommending funding for the following projects:

  • The University of Alaska Fairbanks plans to support the Alaska Arctic Observatory and Knowledge Hub’s development of new education, outreach and communication strategies and products—such as a multimedia StoryMap—around Indigenous Knowledge and marine resources in a rapidly-changing Arctic. The project aims to facilitate knowledge-sharing workshops with Hub observers to incorporate Indigenous Knowledge in NOAA Fisheries’ management of marine resources. The University is expected to receive approximately $89,000 for the first year of this project.
  • The University of Alaska Fairbanks also plans to elevate Indigenous Knowledge and perspectives from underserved Alaska Native communities in ice seal co-management and recovery planning for ringed and bearded seals through the Ice Seal Committee and Alaska Arctic Observatory and Knowledge Hub. The project will leverage existing Indigenous Knowledge networks and build partnerships to guide NOAA Fisheries in the equitable engagement of Indigenous partners, and advance understanding of the climate resilience of ice seals. The University is expected to receive approximately $99,000 for the first year of this project.
  • Sealaska plans to use Indigenous Knowledge to document changes in the oceanographic processes and marine ecosystems from human and climate-related impacts, in order to understand their effects on subsistence resource systems in Native communities in Southeast Alaska. This knowledge could be used to develop a mapping and monitoring methodology and form a cohort of Indigenous Knowledge experts for future collaborations. Sealaska is expected to receive approximately $110,000 for the first year of this project.
  • The Central Council of the Tlingit and Haida Indian Tribes of Alaska intends to add a relationship building and knowledge sharing component to their Southeast Tribal Environmental Forum and will be using funding to address several common barriers faced by tribal environmental professionals across Southeast Alaska. This will help encourage tribal support and representation in the Forum and work towards the goal of collectively addressing marine and coastal concerns and priorities. The Council is expected to receive approximately $67,000 for the first year of this project.
  • The Yukon Delta Fisheries Development Association plans to implement a network of river water monitoring stations along the lower Yukon River to collect data important to the management of Pacific salmon and for the health and well-being of people in lower river communities. This research will document the winter habitat use of juvenile Chinook salmon. The Association is expected to receive approximately $54,000 for the first year of this project.
  • The University of Alaska Fairbanks plans to work with Indigenous partners to build their use of environmental DNA as a resource management tool. This will strengthen the existing research partnership in the Arctic-Yukon-Kuskokwim region, support autonomy for Indigenous communities engaging with NOAA Fisheries and help with salmon research. The University is expected to receive approximately $47,000 for the first year of this project.
  • Kawerak, Inc and the Caleb Scholars Program intends to support an annual gathering so program participants can share insights related to conservation advocacy and facilitate engagement with peers, mentors, guest speakers and members of the community. The advocacy work of Caleb Scholars helps ensure Indigenous input is part of creating policy, management practices, climate-informed studies and research in the Arctic. This gathering is an opportunity for participants to strengthen and rejuvenate vital connections to their families, community and land. The program is expected to receive approximately $34,000 for the first year of this project.

“We are excited to support these important research projects, which advance equity and environmental justice while enabling NOAA Fisheries to meet our research mission,” said Janet Coit, assistant administrator for NOAA Fisheries. “NOAA Fisheries is dedicated to building climate resilience in communities on the front lines of climate change in the Arctic, and Indigenous Knowledge is essential to this effort.”  

Allocation of this funding is planned for fiscal year 2025. NOAA Fisheries first announced this funding opportunity in February 2024, stating there would be funding initially available and the remaining funding could potentially be available in future years for continuing work. This funding is part of the historic $3.3 billion in Inflation Reduction Act investments first announced in June 2023, which is focused on ensuring America’s communities and economies are ready for and resilient to climate change. 

Visit the Inflation Reduction Act website to learn about current and future funding opportunities.

$9.2 Million in Inflation Reduction Act Funds Awarded to Academic Partners for Pacific Salmon Recovery Science

November 14, 2024 — The following was released by NOAA Fisheries:

NOAA Fisheries awarded more than $9.2 million in grants funded by the Inflation Reduction Act to academic partners that will help recover threatened and endangered Pacific salmon. These grants are part of the Biden-Harris Administration’s unprecedented $27 million investment in Pacific salmon recovery science. They will support research that will build upon decades of knowledge from NOAA and its state, tribal, and academic partners.

“The Inflation Reduction Act funding allows us to engage our academic partners and make rapid scientific advancement in critical areas,” said Steve Lindley, director of the Southwest Fisheries Science Center’s Fisheries Ecology Division in Santa Cruz, California.

We awarded six grants to four NOAA cooperative institutes. The largest ($7.48 million) was awarded to the University of California at Santa Cruz via the Cooperative Institute for Marine, Earth and Atmospheric Systems. UC Santa Cruz researchers across disciplines, including molecular ecology, fisheries biology, and climate science, will work closely with NOAA scientists through the Fisheries Collaborative Program. They will produce transformative research in support of our science-based salmon recovery plans.

“Transforming the future for Pacific salmon requires new thinking, and that is where the UCSC-NOAA collaboration really shines,” said Eric Palkovacs, professor and director of the Fisheries Collaborative Program at UC Santa Cruz. “We have fully integrated research teams working on the biggest challenges, developing and field testing new restoration approaches.”

Advancing Science to Save Salmon

Salmon exist across a range of ecosystems, from mountain rivers to the open ocean, and face a variety of threats throughout their lives. This presents enormous challenges for their recovery. This funding will help scientists better understand these pressures, strengthening current knowledge and advancing the cutting edge of salmon science to support recovery.

“The aim of the work is to create new tools that can evaluate the effectiveness and cost of different recovery strategies and fill critical information gaps,” said Lindley. “This will include work across all the habitats that salmon use over the course of their lives—rivers, estuaries, and the ocean.”

The grants include support for undergraduate and graduate student researchers and postdoctoral scholars, representing a crucial investment by NOAA in training the next generation of scientists.

“I am very fortunate to collaborate with such an incredible network of scientists at both UC Santa Cruz and NOAA,” said Paige Gardner, a graduate student researcher at UC Santa Cruz.

Gardner is studying the genetic underpinnings of heat tolerance in steelhead to reveal which populations might be most resilient to climate change. Her work, alongside dozens of other Inflation Reduction Act-funded projects, will inform cohesive tools to improve forecasts of salmon returns and identify impactful recovery actions.

Partners in Salmon Recovery

The other cooperative institutes are located at the University of Washington, Oregon State University, and Woods Hole Oceanographic Institute. NOAA partners with 16 cooperative institutes, which include 80 universities across 33 states.

Salmon are a vital resource along the West Coast, with important cultural, economic and ecosystem benefits. Overfishing, climate change, predation, and loss of habitat have pushed some populations to the brink of extinction. Currently, salmon and steelhead are considered threatened or endangered across much of their native range along the Pacific Coast. NOAA is striving to bring these populations back to sustainable levels to support fisheries, tribal treaty obligations, and ecosystems.

 

Direct Marketing: Another Tool to Increase Resiliency of U.S. Seafood

November 13, 2024 — The following was released by NOAA Fisheries:

At NOAA Fisheries, we know U.S. seafood is good for people, good for our planet, and good for our economy. But we know less about where it goes, how it gets there, and who benefits along the way. By definition, the shortest supply chains are achieved through direct marketing. Seafood harvesters engaged in direct marketing sell their wild-caught or farm-raised seafood directly to consumers, fish markets, restaurants, or institutions without going through a wholesaler or distributor. We caught up with direct marketing operations on the East and West Coasts to learn about how they are building community connections and increasing access to sustainable seafood.

Miss Gina’s Fresh Shrimp: Building Relationships Across the Community

Captain Allen Smith has been shrimping off the coast of North Carolina since 1984. For decades, he sold his shrimp to the local fish house. When shrimp prices crashed in the mid-2000s, driving many shrimpers out of business, he wasn’t ready to stop. On a whim, he and his then-wife set up a chair and an ice chest with 50 pounds of shrimp in front of their home on Highway 70. Gina was sold out of shrimp before Allen finished mowing the lawn.

Today, Miss Gina’s Fresh Shrimp maintains a small roadside stand with a loyal customer base in Beaufort, North Carolina. Allen and his son, Thomas Smith, captain three day boats, shrimping primarily in Core and Pamlico Sounds and occasionally offshore. Thomas’ wife, Monica Smith, handles the sales. The Smiths also employ a full-time deckhand and several part-time sales assistants.

At first, the customer base for Miss Gina’s consisted of their neighbors in eastern Carteret County. But as word spread, the business attracted seafood lovers farther inland, as well as tourists visiting the shore to angle for their own seafood.

“Once we became a big name, I started noticing our shrimp were going everywhere,” Monica explains. She clarifies that Miss Gina’s doesn’t ship-–the customers transport the shrimp themselves. Eventually Monica bought a map of the United States and started adding a sticker each time a customer mentioned they were taking the shrimp home to a new state. “Last I checked we were only missing six states!”

Key to this expansion has been social media marketing. Monica posts photos of the fresh catch and advertises the products and prices daily. Customers can comment, message, or call with requests. They can then arrange to pick up the shrimp from the stand or from the box truck Miss Gina’s drives to the towns of Goldsboro and Clayton most Saturdays. Recently, the business expanded to offering bay scallops and clams from other vessels and oysters from local farms.

Because she sells directly to customers, Monica has the freedom to set the prices week to week, depending on the catch. The flexibility of direct marketing, and the lasting relationships it creates with customers, strengthen the resilience of the business.

Direct marketing, Monica emphasizes, is all about relationships. (“I have phenomenal relationships with our customers!”) She learns her regular customers’ preferences and accommodates after-hours pick ups at the stand. And she ensures that Miss Gina’s gives back to the local community, sponsoring fundraisers and organizing meal drives. The result is a base of customers who value the business’s survival. “I have customers who will come buy extra shrimp from me if they know I need to move them, just to support us.”

MASSACHUSETTS: Do hurricanes pose a danger to fish and other sea life?

November 11, 2024 — What happens to fish and other sea creatures during a hurricane? Do they flee the area or ride out the storm?

According to an article on the National Oceanic Atmospheric Association website, hurricanes generate high waves, rough undercurrents and shifting sands, and all three may harm sea life.

“Slow-moving fish and turtles and shellfish beds are often decimated by the rough undercurrents and rapid changes in water temperature and salinity wrought by a hurricane,” the article states.

According to NOAA, don’t worry too much about sharks, whales, and other large animals because they swiftly move to calmer waters and are not overly affected by hurricanes.

Read the full article at The Standard-Times

Southern Miss Student’s Passion for Fisheries Hopes to Bring Change to Coastal Communities

November 11, 2024 — The coastal lifestyle runs through the veins of Molly Spencer, a School of Ocean Science and Engineering (SOSE) student at The University of Southern Mississippi (USM). Her passion for fisheries has sparked her to create dynamic solutions for coastal communities and federal agencies, allowing her to land an internship at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Northeast Fisheries Science Center in Woods Hole, Mass.

In October 2023, Spencer packed her bags for a six-month internship to survey the Atlantic Surfclam stock and climate change impact on its migrating population. Spencer explained that changes in water temperature greatly affect the surfclam population over time while also impacting commercial and governmental agencies. The shifting range of the Atlantic Surfclam is important information to the local fishers and the stock assessors that produce their yearly quotas.

“This research is important to me because it has a direct correlation to real problems occurring in our coastal oceans right now. This work has the potential to be put into the hands of policymakers and those of fisheries influence. I’m hoping my research will be able to make changes for the better. I’m hoping to bridge the science with coastal fishers,” said Spencer.

Spencer is excited to participate in a first-ever research manuscript detailing studies done on assessing a federal stock assessment on the future abundance of a commercially valuable species. The goal is to inform top U.S. shellfish fisheries on changes in stock sustainability resulting from climate change.

Read the full article at University of Southern Mississippi

Fishermen celebrate Trump: ‘Government has crucified this industry’

November 8, 2024 — Fishermen on the New Bedford waterfront met the news of a second Trump term with vengeful enthusiasm on Wednesday morning. There was hope that the president-elect would scale back regulation, stop offshore wind development and open new fishing grounds — breaking the slump of declining revenues and ushering in a period of relative prosperity for the industry.

Donald Trump gained significant support throughout the South Coast in the 2024 election, narrowing the margin of his 2020 loss to President Joe Biden in the region. Trump didn’t win New Bedford, where Vice President Kamala Harris held a margin of 2,688 votes. But the city’s fishermen have dug in with their support for President-elect Trump.

Read the full article at the New Bedford Light

NOAA Fisheries Issuing Final Biological Opinion on the SouthCoast Wind Energy Project Offshore of Massachusetts

November 8, 2024 — The following was released by NOAA Fisheries:

Today, NOAA Fisheries issued a final Biological Opinion on the SouthCoast offshore wind energy project to the federal action agencies including Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM). Pursuant to the Endangered Species Act (ESA), the Biological Opinion considers the effects on threatened and endangered species of the construction, operation, and eventual decommissioning of the project off the coast of Massachusetts. 

NOAA Fisheries concluded the proposed action is likely to adversely affect, but is not likely to jeopardize, the continued existence of any species of ESA-listed whales, sea turtles, or fish. It is not anticipated to adversely affect any designated critical habitat. NOAA Fisheries does not anticipate serious injuries to or mortalities of any ESA-listed whale including the North Atlantic right whale.

The proposed project includes a number of measures designed to minimize, monitor, and report effects to ESA-listed species. Additional measures are included through the Biological Opinion’s Incidental Take Statement. With the incorporation of the proposed mitigation measures, all effects to North Atlantic right whales will be limited to behavioral disturbance that constitutes “harassment” under the ESA, but not “harm.”

NOAA Fisheries’ Office of Protected Resources is also proposing to issue incidental take regulations pursuant to the Marine Mammal Protection Act, which we evaluated in the Biological Opinion. A number of other federal permits and authorizations associated with the SouthCoast project are proposed and were analyzed in the Biological Opinion. 

NOAA Fisheries will continue working closely with BOEM and other federal agencies to ensure the effects from the SouthCoast offshore energy project to NOAA Fisheries’ trust resources are minimized and monitored.

The Biological Opinion will be available online upon publication in our libraryin approximately 10 days. 

Shipboard Technique Assesses the Base of the Marine Food Web in Near Real-Time

November 7, 2024 — The following was released by NOAA Fisheries:

For decades, Alaska has been leading the way in gathering and using ecosystem information to inform fish and crab resource management decisions. Now, scientists at the Alaska Fisheries Science Center can rapidly provide managers with information about how changes in the marine environment affect the basis of the marine food web. Details about this new methodology were recently published in a paper describing this new Rapid Zooplankton Assessment (RZA).

The RZA can supply near real-time information about the abundance and species composition of zooplankton. Zooplankton are the floating animals that, along with phytoplankton, form the base of the marine food web. These data—coupled with long-term data sets—can provide a snapshot of ecosystem health and help forecast the productivity of our fisheries.

Zooplankton Abundance Informs Fisheries Productivity

Across the world, fisheries managers are turning more and more to ecosystem-based fisheries management. It’s a holistic approach that aims to maintain the resilience and sustainability of an ecosystem. Not only does it recognize physical and biological information, but economic and social factors as well. It seeks to optimize benefits among a diverse set of societal goals, especially in the face of climate change.

Collecting ecosystem data is a huge and multifaceted task. Looking at one piece of the puzzle, our scientists have focused on more efficiently surveying zooplankton. It’s vitally important prey for fish at many stages of their life. Most importantly, zooplankton is the primary food source when marine fish transition from egg stage to larval stage and first begin to feed. This is deemed the “critical period” during which many fish die without abundant food. This, in turn, impacts recruitment—meaning how many fish will survive to older life stages. Zooplankton abundance is a good indicator of how strong recruitment will be for a specific fishery.

Zooplankton are also important to seabirds and marine mammals like whales. And zooplankton respond more immediately to climate variability. They are a great indicator of the health of an ecosystem. They can also give us insight into future climate regimes based on how they have responded to marine heatwaves and other large-scale changes.

DC Circuit tests Chevron’s impact in fisheries case

November 6, 2024 — The demise of the Chevron doctrine may not spell automatic doom for the federal fisheries rule that was at the center of the Supreme Court case that ended 40 years of precedent on agency deference.

During oral arguments Monday, judges of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit — who in 2022 upheld the NOAA Fisheries regulation on Chevron grounds — appeared to think that there is still statutory support to affirm requirements for herring vessels to pay the salaries of third-party onboard monitors.

The case, Loper Bright v. Raimondo, is back before the D.C. Circuit after the Supreme Court decided in June to overturn Chevron, which since 1984 had instructed federal judges to defer to agencies’ reasonable interpretations of ambiguous statutes. But the justices did not decide the fate of the NOAA Fisheries rule at the heart of the case.

Read the full article at E&E News

Building Bridges to Restore Connectivity: Penobscot Nation and NOAA Fisheries Improve Atlantic Salmon Resilience

November 6, 2024 — The following was released by NOAA Fisheries:

The Penobscot Nation conserves and recovers endangered Atlantic salmon and facilitates their return to Tribal lands. The Nation completes these conservation efforts with help from the NOAA Fisheries’ Species Recovery Grants to Tribes Program. Their latest project focuses on restoring aquatic habitat connectivity to promote the species’ resilience in the face of climate change.

The Importance of the Penobscot River Watershed

For thousands of years, the Penobscot River has served as a highway for the Penobscot people, who live along its banks. To this day, the river provides food for the community, is central to their culture, and is considered a Tribal citizen. “We hunt and fish and gather there, and we respect the river as our relative who provides sustenance to us,” said Chuck Loring, a member of the Penobscot Nation and the Director of the Tribe’s Department of Natural Resources. The Penobscot River is now one of the last places in the United States where endangered Atlantic salmon live. The species is important to the Nation.

Atlantic salmon once migrated inland by the hundreds of thousands to rivers in the northeastern United States. Beginning in the 1800s, dam construction along the Penobscot River severely reduced fish passage. Later, undersized culverts prevented fish passage throughout tributaries including headwater streams. Atlantic salmon face many threats in the northeast United States due to dams, including warming waters, high predation from species such as smallmouth bass, and modified habitats.

Free-flowing and connected rivers are vital to anadromous fish such as Atlantic salmon, providing uninterrupted migration between freshwater and the ocean. This connectivity ensures that the salmon can hatch in the river, mature in the ocean, and return to spawn in the waters in which they were born. Sea-run fish also play an important role in the ecosystem by carrying nutrients and energy from the ocean to the rivers. For example, when they die, Atlantic salmon bodies provide nutrients such as nitrogen and phosphorus to the river system. Maintaining connected rivers is essential not only for the survival of Atlantic salmon but also for the health and productivity of the ecosystem.

Dams Block Salmon from Reaching Habitat

Dams and barriers can block, delay, and kill Atlantic salmon and destroy freshwater spawning and nursery habitats, unless they are removed or equipped with adequate fish passage. Today, more than 400 dams along rivers and streams block or impair migration corridors and alter habitat conditions that impede both the survival and recovery of Atlantic salmon.  Salmon populations have greatly diminished, with around 1,500 fish returning to Maine rivers in 2023. The West Branch of the Penobscot River was one of the most important, abundant, and historical salmon habitats. However, today it largely remains inaccessible to salmon because of numerous dams that lack fish passage; dams are one of the principal causes of their decline. The Penobscot Nation’s efforts aim to restore these vital “highways” for salmon and other sea-run fish to thrive.

Ongoing Efforts to Restore Salmon Habitat

Culverts can block fish passage or impair migration and destroy habitat by changing streamflows and altering stream channels. However, bridges support more natural stream features, such as water depth and flow speed. This enables fish passage, improves Atlantic salmon habitat, and provides protection for Atlantic salmon eggs. Under the Species Recovery Grants to Tribes program, the Penobscot Nation has successfully replaced culverts with bridges at two road-stream crossings in the Mattamiscontis Stream. Support from the program has allowed the Nation and project partners to complete another 16 connectivity projects since 2011. Together, these projects are helping to reconnect the upper reaches of Mattamiscontis Stream to the Penobscot River.

The Penobscot Nation has also increased their participation in the Atlantic Salmon Collaborative Management Strategy. The Strategy establishes a platform for effective communication and collaboration between multiple partners. The Nation’s voice is important in this process. Their involvement facilitates the implementation of the 2019 Final Recovery Plan for the Gulf of Maine Distinct Population Segment of Atlantic Salmon. This work is critical in supporting ecosystem-wide restoration for the recovery of Atlantic salmon and requires the collective efforts of many partners.

The Nation’s participation in the Strategy provides an opportunity for the integration of Traditional Ecological Knowledge (also known as Indigenous Knowledge). This allows the Nation to voice their cultural perspectives, while advocating for essential dam fish passage structures and operational practices. Traditional Ecological Knowledge offers a profound understanding of local environmental changes and ecological patterns that modern science alone might not fully capture.

As Dan McCaw, the Fisheries Program Manager for the Penobscot Nation, emphasizes, “The Tribal people stewarded these rivers since time immemorial and had some of the most robust fish runs in the world. They continue to manage forests very conservatively. There’s a huge benefit of bringing in Traditional Ecological Knowledge and weaving it with modern science in a very respectful way. This integration is not always simple or easy, but it ensures that the Tribe has an important voice in the recovery effort.”

In 2023, the Nation’s (and their partners) efforts led to the highest return of Atlantic salmon to the Penobscot River in more than a decade. These efforts also have benefits to other sea-run species. Improved fish passage on the Mattamiscontis Stream enabled river herring (alewives and blueback herring) to reach spawning lakes that could support nearly 800,000 fish. River herring are prey for many birds and other fish, such as bald eagles and striped bass, so their resurgence may serve to buffer juvenile Atlantic salmon from predators.

NOAA Fisheries further supports the Penobscot Nations’ work through the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and Inflation Reduction Act. This funding supported construction of fish passage projects on Birch Stream, a tributary of the Penobscot River. These projects will improve access to additional cold-water habitat for Atlantic salmon. The Bipartisan Infrastructure Law funding will also support the construction of a hiking trail along Sam Ayers Stream on Tribal lands later this year. The trail will highlight recent and future restoration projects through informational kiosks. The Penobscot Nation is hopeful that increasing opportunities for Tribal and non-tribal members to see and access the restored lands and kiosks will continue public support and engagement for important ongoing and future restoration projects.

Building Resilience for Climate Change

Climate change exacerbates the urgency of the Nation’s restoration work to increase Atlantic salmon’s resilience. Restoring free-flowing rivers and streams aligns with traditional practices and enhances ecosystem and infrastructure resilience in the face of climate change. Projected increases in precipitation and more frequent intense storms in the Northeast United States pose significant risks. For example, flooding in December 2023 highlighted the growing threats associated with these changes in Maine. These road-stream crossing projects help to mitigate flood risks by supporting wider ranges of water flows and improving fish passage. By integrating Traditional Ecological Knowledge into the management of the river system, the Penobscot Nation is better prepared to address these climate challenges. As climate change intensifies, these proactive restoration efforts are crucial for sustaining Atlantic salmon populations and maintaining the health of the ecosystem while protecting critical infrastructure.

Despite significant progress, much work remains to recover Atlantic salmon populations in Maine. With support from NOAA’s Species Recovery Grants to Tribes Program, the Penobscot Nation continues its restoration efforts for Atlantic salmon populations in the Penobscot River watershed. These efforts align with NOAA Fisheries’ broader vision to restore habitats and reopen migratory routes, ensuring fish access to healthy environments.

Chuck Loring highlights the Penobscot Nation’s commitment to restoration: “The Tribe takes a seven-generation approach to conservation. That’s our motivation to work hard now. I might not be able to see the results, but my descendants will.”