Can penguin poop chill the planet?

A funky smell downwind may not be the only thing penguin guano produces in Antarctica. A new study published in Communications Earth and Environment found that gaseous ammonia released from Adélie penguins (Pygoscelis adeliae) may increase cloud formation, which could help reduce the effects of climate change. Researchers examined new particle formation, a process where tiny particles within the air are created from gaseous ones. If these particles continue to grow, they can lead to the formation of clouds. While exploring this process in the Antarctic Peninsula, the scientists found that penguin guano is a large source of ammonia that increases new particle formation in the region. The penguin guano altered the soil, and it continued to be a strong source of ammonia long after the penguins had migrated away. This connection represents an important feedback loop between penguin populations, climate and habitat changes.

Read the study in Communications Earth and Environment.