Penguin guano feeds green algae that makes Antarctic snow melt faster
A study by researchers at the University of Colorado found that penguin guano supplies nutrients to snow algae, encouraging green blooms that absorb more solar energy than red algae and speed melting. The researchers say penguins carry guano across snowfields, spreading the effect; as temperatures rise, penguins may move farther south, extending its reach.
Bottom line — Antarctic melt projections do not yet account for the algae effect, according to the researchers.
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The team compared snow algae samples from areas near penguin colonies with samples from areas without them, the Guardian reports.
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When nutrients are scarce, snow algae produce red pigments and grow slowly; with more nutrients, they turn green and grow faster, the BBC explains.
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The findings were published in the Journal of Geophysical Research: Biogeosciences.
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Lead author Alia Khan said the phenomenon has not yet been included in projections of Antarctic snow and ice melt, the BBC reports.