Inputs of terrestrial-derived dissolved organic carbon (DOC) play a fundamental role in structuring the physics, biogeochemistry, carbon balance, and food webs of aquatic ecosystems. Data from across the northern hemisphere show that loads of DOC have increased in recent decades. While the drivers of these changes have been debated, the pattern is clear and is expected to continue. Existing theory and data suggest that changing DOC loads may reconfigure aquatic ecosystem structure and function, with important consequences for carbon balances, recreational fisheries, and other ecosystem services. Yet it is only in the past few years that ecologists have really begun to grapple with understanding these changes. This organized session will bring together a diverse set of perspectives on this emerging environmental issue. Our goal is to bring together some of the best hydrologists, biogeochemists, microbial ecologists, and food web ecologists working on these ideas, to facilitate an exchange of ideas, perspectives, and emerging findings. The central question of this session will be: How will changing terrestrial DOC inputs affect aquatic ecosystems? We will begin the session with talks from experts on DOC loads, who will contextualize the session by describing their evolving understanding of how DOC loads have changed and will continue to change. Next, several talks will consider the effects of changing DOC loads on physical and biogeochemical processes in streams and lakes. A final set of talks will consider potential food web effects of changing DOC loads, from both theoretical and empirical perspectives and at several levels of biological organization. We anticipate that these diverse perspectives will initiate a dialogue amongst attending scientists about how direct and indirect influences of terrestrial carbon will combine to determine aquatic ecosystem services under elevated terrestrial carbon supply. This session focuses on an emerging issue that touches on the interests of a broad swath of ESA’s membership. Aquatic ecologists will be interested because terrestrial-aquatic linkages are becoming an organizing theme in limnology. These linkages are a prominent example of cross-habitat subsidies, which are of interest to food web ecologists in many biomes these days. Some of the most interesting potential effects of changing DOC loads will be mediated by shifts in the behavioral ecology of fishes and other consumers. Because changing DOC loads will alter regional carbon balances, biogeochemists and climate scientists will be interested as well. Bringing together the perspectives of these diverse sub-disciplines is a major goal of this session.