About Samantha Baxter

Samantha M. Baxter is a Writer and the Managing Editor for Fondriest Environmental. She is in the process of obtaining B.A. degrees in Integrated Language Arts Education and Political Science at Wright State University. She was hired as an intern in the spring of 2022 and has continued to work as a writer and editor for the Environmental Monitor, FishSens Magazine and other Fondriest Environmental pages. As a writer, Samantha works with researchers from across the country to craft stories that highlight their work and its impacts. As an editor, Samantha works with graphic designers, fellow writers, and various environmental professionals to create unique content for Fondriest Environmental. Samantha enjoys swimming, running, reading and playing video games in her free time.

Articles By Samantha Baxter

A NexSens buoy deployed on the Kentucky River during a recent training exercise conducted by Kentucky’s Emergency Response Team.

Earth

Buoy-Based Solutions: Strengthening Kentucky’s Emergency Response Efforts

When Kentucky’s Emergency Response Team (ERT) has to act quickly in response to chemical and oil spills in the Commonwealth, they rely on small, easily deployable buoys to collect critical data that help minimize and evaluate damages in environmental emergencies. With a background in geology, Robert Blair primarily worked...

  • Posted January 6, 2025
Sequoia team members installing the NexSens X3 datalogger to enable remote monitoring of sensor outputs.

Earth

Monitoring OAE Efforts in Halifax: Fighting Climate Change with Emerging mCDR Strategies

Marine carbon dioxide (CO2) removal (mCDR) is an emerging strategy that aims to fight climate change by taking advantage of the carbon capture potential of our oceans. There are multiple types of mCDR approaches being evaluated globally, one of which is ocean alkalinity enhancement (OAE). According to NOAA, OAE...

  • Posted December 23, 2024
HRWC citizen science volunteers measure stream velocity across a subsection of Woods Creek, a tributary of the Huron River near Belleville, Michigan.

Earth

Lake Erie Volunteer Science Network: Building Trust in Citizen Science Programs

Citizen science programs have popped up across the United States, focusing on connecting local communities with nearby water resources and building a trustworthy data pool over the sampling period. While commonly utilized as a means of ensuring that large watersheds or lake regions are adequately sampled, the credibility and...

  • Posted December 16, 2024
The Dunkirk Buoy located in the eastern basin of Lake Erie viewed from the research vessel after being deployed in early spring.

Earth

Monitoring Lake Erie’s Eastern Basin: Building Long-Term Data and Real-Time Public Solutions

In the eastern basin of Lake Erie, off the coast of Dunkirk, New York, a data buoy collects valuable water quality, weather, and wave data that inform residents and regulatory groups of conditions on the water. Since 2011, Buffalo State University’s Great Lakes Center has maintained and operated the...

  • Posted December 9, 2024
DOW bathymetry team assisting Abandoned Mine Lands in collecting depth/volume data at a coal pond retention basin. The image is take from above with a drone

Earth

Monitoring Kentucky’s Water Resources with Drone Imaging and Unmanned Surface Vehicles

Wesley Turner, an Environmental Scientist Advisor with the GIS and Data Analysis Section of the Watershed Management Branch in the Kentucky Division of Water, spends his days researching current technology and developing various drone programs for the Division of Water. Having grown up during Love Canal and Valley of...

  • Posted November 25, 2024
BS1 sampling platform in its deployed position. The site is powered by a solar-powered battery, connects to the WQDataLive cloud service with a cellular modem, and collects temperature, salinity, oxygen, chlorophyll, turbidity, pH, and weather parameters. The site is located between two oyster aquaculture facilities in Morro Bay, CA.

Earth

Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo Manages Monitoring Efforts in Morro Bay

California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo (Cal Poly, SLO), has been monitoring Morro Bay for decades, and while the monitoring program has changed over the years, the dedication to monitoring the bay has remained the same. The project started in 2006 as a Packard Foundation-funded initiative to monitor...

  • Posted November 18, 2024
Gleaming and new, the first LoRa buoy is deployed in lower Green Bay, ready to collect valuable, real-time surface algal pigment, temperature profile, and dissolved oxygen data for its first season.

Earth

Green Water in Green Bay: Using Data Buoys to Monitor the Southern Bay

While the bay of Green Bay has been referred to as the largest freshwater “estuary” in the world, the watershed hosts intensive agriculture and contributes one-third of Lake Michigan’s total phosphorus load.  The Fox River flows into the bay, carrying excess nutrients largely the result of non-point source runoff...

  • Posted November 11, 2024
The Tijuana River Estuary monitoring station, including solar panel, logger and telemetry.

Earth

Cross-Border Sewage Contaminated Flows: Monitoring the Tijuana River

The Tijuana River runs across the US-Mexico boundary, flowing into and throughout southern California, carrying with it nutrients and contaminants throughout the estuary. In recent decades, the flows have been heavily polluted with untreated sewage from the City of Tijuana. The wastewater enters the greater Tijuana River estuary, impacting...

  • Posted November 4, 2024

Earth

Using Data Buoys to Track Sharks in Cape Cod

Despite the bad rap sharks often get in the media, they are incredibly important to marine ecosystems. Still, sharks residing in coastal, high-traffic areas can pose a risk to public safety—as a result, shark tracking and monitoring projects are often conducted in these waters. Regardless of the bad press,...

  • Posted October 28, 2024
Satellite image of Hurricane Milton rapidly intensifying into a strong Category 5 hurricane in the Gulf of Mexico on October 7, 2024

Earth

Monitoring Hurricanes and Predicting Flooding in the Age of Climate Change

Still recovering from Hurricane Helene, which caused extreme precipitation, flooding, landslides, and other environmental disasters associated with severe weather, the southeastern part of the U.S. is predicted to be hit by another storm, Hurricane Milton. With Hurricane Helene having made landfall only a little over a week ago on...

  • Posted October 9, 2024
Overhead view of multiple article spreads from the 2024 Fall edition of the Environmental Monitor

Earth

Fall 2024 Environmental Monitor Available Now

In the Fall 2024 edition of the Environmental Monitor, we highlight resource managers and researchers who work together to protect and preserve natural resources. From monitoring above and below dams to studying harmful algal bloom dynamics in local water bodies, this latest edition highlights the role of environmental data-informed...

  • Posted October 2, 2024
Plummer WEES team member inspects an industrial cooling tower to determine how it is running.

Earth

Water Conservation and Smart Growth in Texas

As states face annual droughts and water use continues to grow in order to meet population and production demands, water conservation is essential to protecting natural resources and long-term reliance. Over the years, conserving water has become more necessary as the world’s natural resources continue to be strained in...

  • Posted September 9, 2024
The NexSens XB-200 data buoy deployed on the Fondriest Field Station lake.

Earth

It’s a Buoy! Highlighting the New NexSens XB-200 Data Buoy

As scientists seek to better understand aquatic ecosystems, utilizing small data buoys to monitor offshore and cover more water is becoming commonplace. The new NexSens Technology XB-200 data buoy was designed for inland and coastal monitoring applications. Although compact, the platform is designed with adequate space for multiple sensors...

  • Posted August 26, 2024
WIZARD Buoy located on the Ohio River below R.C. Byrd Locks and Dams

Earth

Eyes on Ohio Waters: Water Quality Monitoring in the Huntington District

The world of water quality monitoring is vast and diverse, with environmental professionals working in the field in a variety of environments and applications. From watershed monitoring to source water management, a career in water quality provides opportunities worldwide. Thaddaeus Tuggle chose to pursue a career in water quality...

  • Posted August 12, 2024
LEA Staff Limnologist Maggie Welch on board buoy boat as it approaches Long Lake deployment site.

Lakes

Regional Lake Monitoring in Maine: Community Funded Research and Protection

Lakes everywhere are threatened by climate change, harmful algal blooms, invasive species, and other environmental stressors. Local, regional, and federal agencies have stepped up in order to defend the environment and water resources. The Lakes Environmental Association (LEA) in Maine is one example of an organization dedicated to protecting local freshwater...

  • Posted July 29, 2024
Picture of the 2015 bloom in Maumee Bay

Earth

Stone Lab: Cyanobacteria Monitoring in Ohio Lakes

Microcystin, one of several toxins produced by the cyanobacteria that form harmful algal blooms (HABs), has become a popular topic of lake research as the human health impacts of HABs become better understood. Stone Lab is one of the leading groups in algal bloom research on Lake Erie and...

  • Posted July 22, 2024
High Definition Stream Survey motor boat in action on the Upper Delaware River in Pennsylvania.

Rivers

High Definition Stream Surveys: Informed Management in Local Waterways

When it comes to environmental monitoring, new stream survey methodologies have revealed a great deal about water quality and streambed conditions over time. Such information can be particularly important in leading restoration initiatives and prioritizing management decisions. Historically, stream surveys have been conducted at a single point along the stream, with data then...

  • Posted July 1, 2024
Field crews prepare NOAA’s CURBY for temporary deployment near the collapsed Francis Scott Key Bridge on April 4, 2024. Pictured clockwise from top: Eddie Roggenstein, Shaena Rausch, and Katie Kirk.

Rivers

Current Monitoring after the Francis Scott Key Bridge Collapse

On March 26th, according to The Baltimore Sun, a 984-foot, 112,000-ton Dali lost propulsion and collided with a support column of the Francis Scott Key Bridge, collapsing the structure. Soon after the event, search and rescue, salvage crews, and other emergency responders were mobilized after the collision. As salvage...

  • Posted June 17, 2024
EXO 2 stilling well setup at Lost River Rise site

Earth

Applied Research and Innovative Solutions: Creating CHNGES at Western Kentucky University

Long-standing environmental monitoring programs have the power to support a large number of research initiatives and policy changes—however, actually starting these networks can prove challenging. Not only is starting the program difficult, but keeping things operational for decades to come has also been challenging for environmental professionals hoping to...

  • Posted April 29, 2024
Superbuoy (a CB-950) deployed on Buffalo Pound Lake on a clear day

Earth

Combating Water Insecurity in Saskatchewan with Real-Time Data

The prairies of Saskatchewan can be described as one of the least water-secure parts of Canada, making water quality monitoring essential for informed resource management in a region already facing water insecurity. While natural physical properties worsen some of the poor water quality conditions in the region, others are...

  • Posted April 15, 2024