Research Reveals That Penguin Poop Could Be The Unlikely Key To Fighting Climate Change

As we continue to find ways to combat climate change, it’s nice to be reminded of what all is helping. For example, the world’s largest single coral was discovered just last year. Now, we’re learning that penguins in Antarctica have their own special way of protecting the Earth… and it’s through their poop.

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As silly as that may sound, there really is something special found in the poop of penguins. According to the scientists studying these adorable creatures, the reason is because of the ammonia found in their feces. Luckily, there is a lot of it. The study found more than 100 times the baseline of ammonia concentrations, even after the penguins migrated away from the source.

A paper was published about this fascinating discovery. In it, the researchers explain that ammonia from the penguin poop reacts with gases emitted from phytoplankton in the ocean. These gases contain sulfur. So, when the ammonia and gases interact, they increase the creation of aerosols. In turn, there’s an increase in cloud formation.

These clouds, scientists say, insulate the atmosphere. In turn, they help reduce the Earth’s surface temperature, something that’s needed to keep sea ice from melting. While there’s much more that needs to be done to combat climate change, news like this is worth celebrating.

Matthew Boyer, a researcher at the University of Helsinki’s Institute for Atmospheric and Earth System Research and lead author of the paper, has a lot to say on why this discovery is so important.

Matthew explains, “What we have demonstrated is that there is a deep connection between ecosystem processes — being the ocean phytoplankton activity as well as penguins — and atmospheric processes that can have an impact on the local climate.”

You can find the source of this story’s featured image here!