Dr. John Byrne, president emeritus of Oregon State University and former administrator of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), will tie together themes that emerge at the seventh annual Heceta Head Coastal Conference in a presentation called “Discovery, Learning and Engagement for Tomorrow’s World.”

Dr. Byrne is a late addition to this year’s conference, which takes place Oct. 28-29 at the Florence Events Center in Florence, and will speak at 3:15 on Saturday. He will link together the themes raised by other presenters, and explore the kind of research needed in a future with a changing climate and more than seven billion people, with an emphasis on engaging society to apply the knowledge gained through research.

For more information, and to register for the conference, visit http://www.hecetaheadconference.org.