Green algae patches on Antarctic snow near penguin colonies

Penguin Poop Fertilizes Algae, Accelerating Antarctic Snow Melt

Audio narration · Coming soon

A new study reveals that penguin poop fertilizes snow algae blooms along the Antarctic Peninsula, resulting in dense green algae patches on the snow. These algae-covered areas melt faster than clean snow, potentially accelerating the expansion of snow- and ice-free regions in Antarctica.

Why this matters

PRISM scored this story 65/100 for interest.

Originally published by gnews