The 2018 Gordon Research Conference on Marine Natural Products embraces the remarkable innovations that are being made in this field. While once largely focused on compound discovery, marine natural products research has moved in exciting new directions driven by advances in analytical techniques, omic sciences, pharmacology, and synthetic biology. Marine natural products continue to reveal unique chemical scaffolds that provide inspiration for synthetic chemists and leads for drug development. Their exquisite interactions with molecular targets provide new pharmacological insights while their ecological functions reveal the important roles they play in structuring marine communities. This conference will bring together new and established researchers from industry, government, and academia, in an interactive environment geared to stimulate scientific creativity and exchange. It will address the latest advances in the field and provide exposure to related fields where the technologies may prove inspirational. A Gordon Research Seminar preceding the Conference will build expertise and communication among early career researchers, with several presentations selected for short talks at the GRC. This conference will be geared towards providing opportunities for established researchers to share their expertise and the next generation of researchers to develop ideas that will take the field into the future.