Transient dynamics certainly affect our every observation and attempted manipulation of ecological systems. Climate change, species introductions, habitat destruction, and other disturbances ensure that systems are frequently quite far from an equilibrium state, and therefore may be experiencing temporary behavior which differs markedly from what we predict in the long term. However, the theory that would support our measurement, understanding and management of such transient dynamics is either underdeveloped, or largely unknown to mainstream ecologists. As a result, generalizations regarding transients across different systems that could provide important ecological insights are still in their infancy. This lack of progress persists despite a least a decade of calls for greater attention to transients. The speakers in this symposium work with different systems (terrestrial to marine) and use different approaches (experimental to mathematical). Together they will identify areas of commonality and fruitful paths of investigation. The goals of the session are to identify general needs for theory development, to galvanize new research in this area, and to begin the work of creating a general framework for understanding ecological transients.