Featured collection introduction: The emerging science of aquatic system connectivity II

The growing aquatic system science community includes interdisciplinary researchers collectively working to improve the physical, chemical, and biological functions of aquatic systems. Connectivity describes the flow of materials, organisms, and energy between ecosystems or ecosystem components, and it serves as a unifying concept for the study, management, and restoration of aquatic systems. This featured collection was motivated by the American Water Resources Association (AWRA) Specialty Conference, Connecting the Dots: The Emerging Science of Aquatic System Connectivity. Held in May 2017 in Snowbird, Utah, the conference consisted of 33 technical sessions with over 140 presenters from across engineering, earth science, and life science disciplines. Session topics ranged from basic and applied research, to management applications and policy discussions. This collection, the first in a series of two, contains 11 manuscripts and builds upon the momentum of the AWRA specialty conference by facilitating continued conversations about aquatic systems connectivity and providing guidance for future interdisciplinary research.