Hi all! My name is Merit Williams and I am a soon-to-be graduate of Iowa State University with a BS in biology and a minor in animal ecology. I am passionate about aquatic ecosystems and especially intrigued by contaminants and their role in the environment. I am presenting at the Poster Session on toxigenic cyanobacteria in urban stormwater ponds along a chloride gradient. In the future, I aim to study water-dependent birds and how the biomagnification of contaminants impact their behavior and physiology.