ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

 My dissertation would not have been possible without the support, assistance, and

encouragement of many wonderful people. I would first like to thank my advisor and friend,

Karen Bjorndal, for guiding me through the adventures of graduate school. Karen's wisdom and

generosity have been truly inspirational. I also thank Alan Bolten for many years of emotional

and logistical support. My committee members Karen Bjorndal, Alan Bolten, Lou Guillette,

Dan Hahn, David Julian, and John Sivinski have been invaluable to my progress and I cannot

thank them enough for their contributions to my professional development.

 I am indebted to many friends and colleagues who provided assistance with the evolution,

implementation, and/or analysis of my work. I am particularly grateful to my unbelievable

undergraduate assistants, including May Steward, Adam Sarnowski, Carie Reynolds, Justin

Emerson, Dana-Rachael La Kam, Kelly Johnson, Katherine Perez, Daphna Yasova, Ann Mazor,

and Sasha Strul, all of whom contributed significantly to the success of my research. I also thank

Richie Moretti for initiating the dialogue that led to fruitful collaborations between the Cayman

Turtle Farm and the Archie Carr Center for Sea Turtle Research, and I thank Ken Prestwich for

assistance with insect metabolic rate measurements. Debra Murie, Matthias Starck, Tony Zera,

Jamie Gillooly, and Scott Pletcher participated in thought-provoking discussions about the

conceptual framework and analysis of various components of my research. Lauren Chapman,

Greg Pryor, Mike McCoy, and Ben Bolker were invaluable statistical consultants who patiently

taught me how to use and interpret SPSS and R. Additional statistical consulting was provided

by Xueli Liu and Alex Trindade. Harvey Ramirez and Elliott Jacobson assisted with clinical

aspects of animal care, and Franco Giorgi graciously provided photocopies of embryonic staging

tables for Carausius morosus.