Penguin poop, or guano, in Antarctica may play a role in reducing the effects of climate change, according to a recent study published in Nature Communications Earth & Environment. The ammonia released from penguin guano can influence cloud formation, potentially cooling surface temperatures.
Researchers measured ammonia concentrations near Marambio Base, Antarctica, and found that when winds blew from a colony of 60,000 Adélie penguins, ammonia levels increased dramatically. This increase enhanced particle concentrations in clouds up to 30 times the background level.
The study revealed that even after the penguins migrated, the guano left behind continued to emit ammonia at levels 100 times higher than baseline. This suggests that penguin poop's cloud-building ammonia emissions may cover even more of coastal Antarctica, helping to mitigate some of the warming effects in the region.