Overview

• A study published on May 22, 2025, links ammonia released from Adelie penguin guano to increased cloud formation, potentially mitigating Antarctic warming.
• Real-time field measurements at Marambio Base in early 2023 confirmed that ammonia from guano reacts with sulfur gases to form aerosols, which seed clouds.
• Ammonia concentrations downwind of a 60,000-bird colony were recorded at over 1,000 times baseline levels, even persisting at 100 times baseline after penguin migration.
• These guano-driven clouds may reflect sunlight, cooling the surface and influencing sea ice dynamics, though further research is needed to quantify the net cooling effect.
• Researchers emphasize the importance of conserving seabird habitats, as declining penguin populations could weaken this natural climate-regulating feedback.