Ammonia from penguin guano boosts cloud formation, potentially helping Antarctica resist climate change.
Ammonia from penguin guano could be playing a surprising role in protecting Antarctica from the effects of climate change. A new study published in Communications Earth & Environment reveals that emissions from Adélie penguins (Pygoscelis adeliae) may help boost cloud formation, offering a natural form of climate regulation. This discovery comes from atmospheric measurements taken downwind of a massive penguin colony.
Antarctica’s ecosystems are under growing pressure as climate change accelerates, and one of the clearest signs is the shrinking area of sea ice. Penguins, essential to the health of this ecosystem, are facing serious threats as their icy habitats continue to disappear.
Yet, penguins may be helping more than we realized. Alongside other seabirds, they are major sources of ammonia in the region. Ammonia plays a key role in cloud formation by reacting with sulfur-containing gases to create aerosols. These tiny particles provide a surface for water vapor to condense, encouraging the development of clouds.
Clouds formed in this way act as insulating layers in the atmosphere. They can help cool the surface below and influence the extent of sea ice coverage. Until now, though, scientists knew little about how penguins themselves might be linked to these climate processes.
Surprising Measurements Near a Penguin Colony
Matthew Boyer, Mikko Sipilä, and colleagues measured the concentration of ammonia in the air at a site near Marambio Base, Antarctica, between January 10 and March 20, 2023. They observed that when the wind blew from the direction of a 60,000-individual Adelie penguin colony around 8 kilometers away, the ammonia concentration increased to as high as 13.5 parts per billion — more than 1,000 times higher than the baseline value (less than 10.5 parts per trillion). Even after the penguins migrated from the area towards the end of February, the ammonia concentration was still more than 100 times higher than the baseline, as the penguin guano left at the colony site continued to emit the gas.
To confirm that the increase in ammonia concentration affected aerosol particle concentration, the authors recorded several additional atmospheric measurements on a single day. When the wind blew from the penguin colony, the number and size of aerosol particles recorded at the site sharply increased, with the authors later (approximately three hours after the wind changed) observing a period of fog, which they say was likely a result of the increased aerosol particle concentration.
The results suggest that penguin guano may be helping to reduce the effects of climate change on the penguins’ own habitat of Antarctica. The authors say that their work emphasizes the importance and benefits of protecting seabirds and their habitats from the effects of climate change.
Reference: “Penguin guano is an important source of climate-relevant aerosol particles in Antarctica” by Matthew Boyer, Lauriane Quéléver, Zoé Brasseur, Barry McManus, Scott Herndon, Mike Agnese, David Nelson, Joseph Roscioli, Frederik Weis, Sergej Sel, Giselle L. Marincovich, Francisco J. Quarin, Angela Buchholz, Carlton Xavier, Pablo J. Perchivale, Veli-Matti Kerminen, Markku Kulmala, Tuukka Petäjä, Xu-Cheng He, Svetlana Sofieva-Rios, Hilkka Timonen, Minna Aurela, Luis Barreira, Aki Virkkula, Eija Asmi, Doug Worsnop and Mikko Sipilä, 22 May 2025, Communications Earth & Environment.
DOI: 10.1038/s43247-025-02312-2
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