Antarctic Penguin Colonies Identified as Significant Natural Source of Methane Emissions

A new study by the Spanish National Research Council (CSIC) and the University of Granada has revealed that large colonies of chinstrap penguins in Antarctica are a previously unmeasured natural source of methane, a potent greenhouse gas. The research, published in 'Climate and Atmospheric Science', estimates that the guano produced by these birds generates approximately 490,000 tonnes of methane annually, comparable to emissions from all coastal ocean areas worldwide.