Intertidal mudflats are home to a diversity of organisms, many of whom burrow into the sediment for refuge from the elements, to find food, or to escape predation. These burrowing animals are called infauna. The intertidal zone experiences extreme fluctuations in environmental conditions, such as temperature and salinity, on short (tidal) and long (seasonal) timescales. Burrowing organisms are considered ecosystem engineers because these organisms have a large impact on ecosystem processes within coastal environments. One example of this is that when infauna ventilate their burrows by drawing oxygen- rich surface water into the oxygen- poor sediment, creating a layer of oxygated mud at the burrow walls. This can profoundly affect the chemistry of the sediment, altering nutrient fluxes and carbon processing. I study the effects of temperature on burrow ventilation and oxygen dynamics, finding that burrowers alter their behavior in response to changing temperatures, thus mediating the effects of environmental conditions on oxygen consumption in coastal sediments. I am also studying the hydrodynamics of burrow irrigation.