I owe an enormous debt to my family for the encouragement, love, and support they have

provided throughout my time in graduate school. It is impossible to put into words the gratitude I

feel for my parents and my sister. Their faith in me, their emotional support, and their belief in

the value of education have inspired and motivated me through thick and thin. I would like to

give special thanks to my father for his many hours in the garage helping me construct cages,

basking platforms, and lighting structures that I used during my feeding trials. I would also like

to thank my parents for traveling to the Cayman Islands to help me recover from a devastating

hurricane in November of 2001. They were wonderful field assistants during this time. Roger

and Annette Roark deserve many thanks, as well, for their encouragement through the years.

They have been unbelievably supportive, and I am incredibly lucky to be their daughter-in-law.

Lastly, I thank my husband, Andrew. He has experienced all of my "ups" and "downs" along the

way, and his patience and belief in me have been a constant source of comfort during the past

seven years.