Penguin Poop Fuels Green Snow Algae and Faster Antarctic Melt

A study in the Journal of Geophysical Research: Biogeosciences found that phosphate from penguin droppings sustains dense green snow algae blooms along the West Antarctic Peninsula. Green snow absorbs about 40% more sunlight than clean snow and red snow about 20%, potentially accelerating coastal snowmelt.

• Phosphate in penguin guano explains why snow algae stay green instead of turning red
• Green snow absorbs about 40% more sunlight than white snow; red snow about 20%
• Samples were collected along five degrees of latitude on the West Antarctic Peninsula
• Ignoring biological darkening may underestimate how fast ice-free areas expand