A researcher studying recent algal blooms in New Brunswick is mining the past for data to help explain curious algae blooms that have been popping up the province recently.

Last year, New Brunswick saw several outbreaks of cyanobacteria, that caused seven lakes to become potentially toxic to humans and animals. 

Tim Patterson, a geologist and earth sciences professor at Carleton University in Ottawa is using "ice-out records" to find a correlation between temperatures and algae outbreaks.

"We have records dating back to the early 1800's where people would keep track of when the ice would go out from this lake in the spring," said Patterson. "This sort of information tells us a lot of what was happening back then. It's fantastic for building a long trend model." 

Read the full story at CBS News.