Ph.D., Wildlife Science, 2021. Oregon State University. Dissertation title: “Long Term Trends and Sources of Sound in U.S. Waters”

M.S., Wildlife Science, 2017. Oregon State University. Thesis title: “The Soundcheck of the Sea: Comparing Marine Soundscapes on a Continental Scale”

Samara's current research is focused on quantifying and monitoring soundscapes and ocean noise within U.S. waters, including marine protected areas. Broadly, she hopes her work will inform the management of anthropogenic noise in sensitive marine animal habitats to promote sustainable human interactions with marine ecosystems. 

Samara has primarily focused on a collaborative project with NOAA and the National Park Service to understand drivers and trends of underwater sound in diverse ecosystems. The largest of these efforts is the NOAA/NPS Noise Reference Station Network, a calibrated passive acoustic monitoring array established to monitor underwater soundscape conditions and long-term trends across widespread U.S. marine environments. 

Samara is a research associate in the Department of Fisheries, Wildlife, and Conservation Sciences and the Cooperative Institute for Marine Ecosystem and Resources Studies. She is also an affiliate of the Marine Mammal Institute where she is working on coastal soundscape analysis in support of the GRANITE project.