Penguin poo could save the planet

Scientists have warned that a decline in the birds' population has limited the ocean's ability to absorb carbon dioxide and prevent global warming.

Chinstrap penguins play a "crucial role" in maintaining iron levels in the sea by defecating in and near water but a 50 per cent fall in their population since the 1980s is putting Earth at risk.

Experts at the Institute of Marine Sciences of Andalusia in Spain said: "These seabirds are a relevant contributor to the iron remobilisation pool in the Southern Ocean.

"Chinstrap penguin guano - and potentially that from other penguin species – plays a crucial role in iron cycling.

"Declining penguin numbers may threaten this further."

Professor Mark Moore, of Southampton University, explained that penguins "act as a kind of reservoir" by pumping their faeces into the water.

The flightless birds then "move it around" to iron-deprived areas which helps stimulate the growth of new plankton that can absorb large amounts of carbon dioxide.

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