The 2nd annual Duke Ecology Symposium was hosted at the Marine Lab this year, increasing participation of marine ecologists at the meeting. Over 70 researchers from Duke’s main campus and the marine lab attended the symposium, which included a poster session, oral presentations by PhD students and postdocs, and three keynote seminars. Keynote speakers were Dr. Jim Elser from Arizona State University, Dr. John Bruno from University of North Carolina – Chapel Hill, and Dr. Sonia Altizer from University of Georgia. The symposium was sponsored by the University Program in Ecology (UPE) and
was organized by UPE PhD students. Johnson Lab member Sarah Loftus was on the planning committee and presented a poster at the meeting. In addition to scientific presentations, the meeting included professional development breakout sessions led by keynote speakers and faculty. The symposium succeeded in fostering connections between ecologists across different departments, and will likely be held at the Marine Lab again in the future.