This thesis would not have been possible without the unconditional guidance, support and understanding from nothing short of a plethora of amazing people. First and foremost I would like to thank those in Michigan who donated their time, patience and knowledge and in doing so helped me successfully embark on my career as a fisheries scientist. Greg Kennedy, Jaquie Craig and Beth Stockdale showed me what it means to truly love your work. We were able to find something to laugh at every day (mostly ourselves) and I can't thank them enough for the continued support and camaraderie. Glenn Walker went above and beyond, helping me navigate the world of academia, temporarily inspiring me to love the field of cellular and molecular biology, and providing a great lunchtime listening ear. Laura Eidietis was instrumental in kick-starting my career during my undergraduate years at Eastern Michigan University. Her endless kindness and patience in teaching me how to make posters, network at conferences and edit manuscripts are skills I will use for the rest of my time as a professional scientist. She never preached, but fully understood the value in learning and always took advantage when a teaching moment presented itself. Ulrich Reinhardt showed me the value of professional collaboration as well as provided guidance in constructing a repertoire of coursework that would send me off to graduate school well prepared. And although in Seattle, Mary Moser showed me how to think outside the box, both literally and figuratively and I thank her for opening my mind to a different way of looking at things. My graduate committee has been the most important and influential component of my career at NC State, and I sincerely thank them for everything. Though from a distance, Fred iv Scharf and Ken Pollock provided an incredible amount of knowledge, without which this thesis would not be of the caliber it is. I especially thank my co-advisors, Joe Hightower and Jeff Buckel. Both have been endlessly patient, understanding and supportive throughout the past two and a half years, and I feel very fortunate to have been under their advice. I am very proud to have earned both their professional and personal respect.

These habitats provide ecological services (e.g. habitat for secondary and tertiary consumers, carbon storage, and water filtration), which may be hindered by human encroachment (Dame et al. 2000). Salt marshes offer an opportunity to examine specific © Inter-Research 2014 • www.int-res.com

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