Ammonia in penguin poop may play a surprising role in protecting Antarctica from climate change."Communications: Earth and Environment" magazineA new study published shows that Adélie penguins (scientific name:Pygoscelis adeliae) emissions may help promote cloud formation, providing a natural way to regulate the climate. The discovery comes from atmospheric measurements taken downwind of a large penguin colony.
As climate change accelerates, Antarctica's ecosystems are facing increasing pressure, and one of the most obvious signs of this is shrinking sea ice. Penguins are vital to the health of the Antarctic ecosystem and are facing serious threats as their ice and snow habitats continue to disappear.
However, penguins' contribution may be greater than we realize. They, like other seabirds, are a major source of ammonia in the area. Ammonia plays a key role in cloud formation, reacting with sulfur-containing gases to form aerosols. These tiny particles provide a surface for water vapor to condense, thereby promoting cloud formation.
Clouds formed in this way act as an insulating layer in the atmosphere. They help cool the surface below and influence how much sea ice covers. However, until now, scientists knew little about the connection between the penguins themselves and these climate processes.
Between January 10 and March 20, 2023, Matthew Boyer, Miko Sipile and colleagues measured ammonia concentrations in the air at a site near the Marambio base in Antarctica. They observed that when winds blew from the direction of a colony of 60,000 Adélie penguins about 8 kilometers away, ammonia levels rose to 13.5 ppb (13.5 parts per billion), more than 1,000 times higher than the baseline value (less than 10.5 ppt). Even after the penguins moved from the area in late February, ammonia levels remained more than 100 times higher than baseline because penguins remaining in the colony continued to emit the gas in their droppings.
To confirm that increasing ammonia concentrations affect aerosol particle concentrations, the authors recorded several additional atmospheric measurements over the course of a day. As the wind blew from the penguin colony, the number and size of aerosol particles recorded in the field increased dramatically, and the authors subsequently (about three hours after the wind direction changed) observed a period of fog, which they believe may be the result of increased aerosol particle concentration.
The findings suggest penguin droppings may help reduce the impact of climate change on the penguins' own habitat, Antarctica. The authors say their study highlights the importance and benefits of protecting seabirds and their habitats from the impacts of climate change.
Compiled from /ScitechDaily