Meet the tiny snails that could help stop toxic algae blooms — and Manitoba scientists just put them on the global map

A Brandon University biologist may have found an unlikely new hero in the fight against toxic blue-green algae blooms — and it’s small, slimy and surprisingly powerful.

New BU research, published as the cover story in the international journal , suggests that a common Asian freshwater snail, , could help slow or even prevent cyanobacteria harmful algal blooms (CHABs) that choke lakes, kill wildlife and shut down beaches every summer across Canada.

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Yes — snails.

Nature’s tiny water filters

The study, led by Dr. Barry Madison from BU’s Department of Biology, found that these snails naturally vacuum up microscopic algae, including , the notorious toxin-producing species behind blue-green blooms.

Just one three-gram snail can filter a couple of litres of water in a few