Penguin Poop and the Planet: How These Birds Help Cool the Earth

When you think of penguins, you probably picture them waddling on ice, diving into freezing water, or starring in adorable nature documentaries. But did you know penguin poop (yes, poop!) might actually help fight climate change?

Let’s break it down.

Adélie penguins in Antarctica live in large colonies, and where there are penguins, there's a lot of guano (a fancy word for bird droppings). Scientists recently discovered that this guano releases ammonia into the air. That might not sound like a big deal, but it turns out it helps create clouds!

Here’s how:

• Penguin poop gives off ammonia.
• That ammonia mixes with other natural chemicals in the air.
• The result? Tiny particles that help clouds form.

And those clouds? They can reflect sunlight, which may help keep Antarctica, and could possibly keep our planet a bit cooler.

Clouds play an important role in regulating Earth’s temperature. The more sunlight they bounce back into space, the cooler things stay. So, in a strange way, penguin poop is like nature’s air conditioning!

While penguin poop isn’t going to stop climate change on its own, it’s a great reminder of how connected everything is. Even tiny creatures doing their business can have an impact on the planet.

It also highlights how important it is to protect wildlife and wild places. Who knows what other natural surprises could help us understand and care for the Earth better?

Fun Fact: Scientists measured ammonia levels near a penguin colony and found them to be 1,000 times higher than in penguin-free areas. That’s some powerful poop!

Works Cited

Thompson, Elizabeth. “Penguin Poop Could Help Preserve the Antarctic Climate.” Inside Climate News, 22 May 2025, https://insideclimatenews.org/news/22052025/penguin-poop-could-preserve-antarctic-climate/.

Weisberger, Mindy. “Penguin Poop May Help Cool the Climate in Antarctica.” Science News, 20 May 2025, https://www.sciencenews.org/article/penguin-poop-climate-change-antarctica.