Penguins may affect the melting of snow in Antarctica.
Scientists from Western Washington University concluded that penguin excrement promotes the growth of snow algae, which turn the snow green and improve the absorption of the sun's heat.
Algae change the color of the surface, they absorb more heat, this leads to additional heating of the snow and can speed up its melting. According to previous measurements, red algae increase the absorption of sunlight by about 20%, and green algae by 40%. How much seabird guano contributes significantly to ice melt across the continent remains to be seen.