In a study published in Nature Communicationsit is seen as the penguin poop is a key contributor to regulating iron concentration within the Southern Ocean. Iron is the single most important element that makes our blood red and keeps our immune systems in tip-top shape, and now, new research into iron in the Southern Ocean has revealed a dramatic decline due to penguins’ lack of poop. .
The Southern Ocean contains areas of high nutrient content and low chlorophyll content where the phytoplankton growth it is controlled by the availability of iron; the areas also contain millions of iron-rich Antarctic krill (Euphausia superba) which feed on the phytoplankton and, in turn, provide meals for a whole range of species including whales and seabirds.
Research has been conducted on iron recycling among whales, krill and phytoplankton over the years, but the impact of penguin populations on iron recycling had never been explored until now.
What the penguin poop study showed
Penguins account for the largest biomass of seabirds in the South Pole and thus contribute significantly to the recycling of iron within the ocean, in the Pacific, i chinstrap penguins (Pygoscelis antarcticus) contribute especially because it is believed that theirs diet contains about 90% krill.
During their research, the team discovered that chinstrap penguins they contribute about 521 tons of iron each year into the Southern Ocean through their poop, also known as guano.
To arrive at this number, the team used a deep learning model to evaluate census data on chinstrap penguins and to characterize the nesting site where most penguins gather. Scholars have now estimated the size of penguin breeding colonies using drone images that help them estimate the amount of guano present.
These estimates based on drone images could then be compared with census data to construct the best picture, and determine how penguin poop affected.
Chinstrap penguin poop is particularly high in iron, with about 3 milligrams of iron in every gram of guano. The rich iron content of penguin poop in particular is important as it recycles nearly half of the iron content produced by whales.
While you might think 521 tons of iron is a lot, this number is actually less than half the amount these penguins would have been able to produce in the 1980s, as their population has declined by more than 50% in the last few years. 40 years.
To make matters worse, the iron in the water helps with carbon sequestration, meaning the impact of climate change will be felt even more deeply in these areas.
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