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Toxic algal blooms threaten Canadian drinking water, but scientists are developing a way to protect against the harmful slime.

CBC News

Jaela Bernstien heads out on Lake Erie with scientists.
From a boat on Lake Erie, scientists have launched what they hope will soon be an early warning system to protect locals from a threat lurking in the water.

Dangerous, slimy mats of blue-green algae are plaguing Lake Erie and other lakes across North America, not only interfering with ecosystems and recreational activities, but also complicating municipal water treatment processes.

Blue-green algae are microscopic bacteria found in freshwater, also called cyanobacteria. When certain types of cyanobacteria multiply under the right conditions, they can form thick toxin-producing scum.

Read the full article on CBC News Interactive.