Ever wonder why Sequim Bay is so blue, or the color of the Dungeness River changes when it rains? The color of a water body is affected by what’s in it — both particles and dissolved materials will impact its color.

Dr. Allison Myers-Pigg presents “Colors of the Water with a Changing Tide: How Organic Materials in Water Can Help Tell the Story of Its History and Future,” at the next at the next Sequim Science Café, set for 6:30 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 8, at Paradise Restaurant, 703 N. Sequim Ave.

In January 2019 Myers-Pigg joined Pacific Northwest National Laboratory’s Marine Sciences Laboratory in Sequim. She received a bachelor’s degree in oceanography from the University of Washington and a Ph.D. in chemical oceanography from Texas A&M University.

At the marine sciences lab she is part of an interdisciplinary team researching the effects of sea level rise on coastal ecosystem structure and function. She is currently using real-time, high-resolution sensors coupled with the chemical characterization of materials dissolved in water to examine how coastal forest carbon cycling is impacted by frequent seawater inundation.

Myers-Pigg’s other research interests include understanding the impacts of climate change on boreal and arctic ecosystems and how fires alter carbon cycling within watersheds.

The event is sponsored by the Sequim Education Foundation, a “proud supporter of STEM education in the Sequim School District and all donations go directly to purchasing materials and assisting our students with furthering their STEM studies.”

The Science Cafe meets on the second Tuesday of every month except July and August, from 6:30-7:30 pm. Those planning to eat are encouraged to come early (5:30-6 p.m.); seating is limited.

See www.facebook.com/sequimed for more information.