San Francisco Bay is an estuary-a place where fresh water from California's rivers and streams meets and mixes with salty ocean water from the Pacific. It's the largest estuary on the West Coast, and nearly half of California's freshwater drains into the Bay. But the Bay is largely seawater and the ocean plays a critical role in its physical and biological systems.

Despite its importance, researchers know relatively little about how ocean water comes into the Bay, other than the twice-daily tidal sloshing of waters on the surface. The ocean connection-and its reach into the Bay-is a mystery that physical oceanographer John Largier has set out to solve. His research focuses on the dynamics of deep-water transport of ocean currents into the Bay and on characterizing the water's distinct chemical makeup.

About the speaker: John Largier is a coastal oceanographer and a professor at the UC Davis Bodega Marine Lab. He is also a scientist-in-residence and advisor for the Exploratorium's Bay Observatory.

Join Largier for a discussion of these topics, and to hear about his ongoing studies of coastal upwelling and its potential impact in the Bay.

Free, RSVP required. Email reserve@exploratorium.edu, or call 415.528.4444 and choose option 5.