News Climate Penguin poop gives Antarctic cloud formation a boost Ammonia wafting up from penguin guano in Antarctica is a key ingredient for cooling cloud formation Adélie penguins walk near a breeding site in coastal Antarctica. Matthew Boyer By Carolyn Gramling May 22, 2025 at 11:09 am Share this:Share Share via email (Opens in new window) Email Share on Facebook (Opens in new window) Facebook Share on Reddit (Opens in new window) Reddit Share on X (Opens in new window) X Print (Opens in new window) Print Penguins’ poop may be making Antarctica cloudier — and helping mitigate the regional impacts of climate change. Gases emitted from the birds’ guano are supplying key chemical ingredients to form the seeds of clouds — the tiny particles that clouds coalesce around, researchers report May 22 in Communications Earth & Environment.