The contribution of penguin guano to the Southern Ocean iron pool
Abstract Iron plays a crucial role in the high-nutrient, low-chlorophyll Southern Ocean regions, promoting phytoplankton growth and enhancing atmospheric carbon sequestration. In this area, iron-rich Antarctic krill (Euphausia superba) and baleen whale species, which are among their main predators,...
Published in: | Nature Communications |
---|---|
Main Authors: | , , , , |
Format: | Article in Journal/Newspaper |
Language: | English |
Published: |
Nature Portfolio
2023
|
Subjects: | |
Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-023-37132-5 https://doaj.org/article/a4f35794cfd944809211d6716fda564d |
id |
ftdoajarticles:oai:doaj.org/article:a4f35794cfd944809211d6716fda564d |
---|---|
record_format |
openpolar |
spelling |
ftdoajarticles:oai:doaj.org/article:a4f35794cfd944809211d6716fda564d 2023-06-11T04:06:54+02:00 The contribution of penguin guano to the Southern Ocean iron pool Oleg Belyaev Erica Sparaventi Gabriel Navarro Araceli Rodríguez-Romero Antonio Tovar-Sánchez 2023-04-01T00:00:00Z https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-023-37132-5 https://doaj.org/article/a4f35794cfd944809211d6716fda564d EN eng Nature Portfolio https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-023-37132-5 https://doaj.org/toc/2041-1723 doi:10.1038/s41467-023-37132-5 2041-1723 https://doaj.org/article/a4f35794cfd944809211d6716fda564d Nature Communications, Vol 14, Iss 1, Pp 1-9 (2023) Science Q article 2023 ftdoajarticles https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-023-37132-5 2023-04-23T00:36:37Z Abstract Iron plays a crucial role in the high-nutrient, low-chlorophyll Southern Ocean regions, promoting phytoplankton growth and enhancing atmospheric carbon sequestration. In this area, iron-rich Antarctic krill (Euphausia superba) and baleen whale species, which are among their main predators, play a large role in the recycling of iron. However, penguins have received limited attention despite their representing the largest seabird biomass in the southern polar region. Here, we use breeding site guano volumes estimated from drone images, deep learning-powered penguin census, and guano chemical composition to assess the iron export to the Antarctic waters from one of the most abundant penguin species, the Chinstrap penguin (Pygoscelis antarcticus). Our results show that these seabirds are a relevant contributor to the iron remobilization pool in the Southern Ocean. With an average guano concentration of 3 mg iron g−1, we estimate that the Chinstrap penguin population is recycling 521 tonnes iron yr−1, representing the current iron contribution half of the amount these penguins were able to recycle four decades ago, as they have declined by more than 50% since then. Article in Journal/Newspaper Antarc* Antarctic Antarctic Krill antarcticus baleen whale Chinstrap penguin Euphausia superba Southern Ocean Directory of Open Access Journals: DOAJ Articles Antarctic Guano ENVELOPE(141.604,141.604,-66.775,-66.775) Southern Ocean The Antarctic Nature Communications 14 1 |
institution |
Open Polar |
collection |
Directory of Open Access Journals: DOAJ Articles |
op_collection_id |
ftdoajarticles |
language |
English |
topic |
Science Q |
spellingShingle |
Science Q Oleg Belyaev Erica Sparaventi Gabriel Navarro Araceli Rodríguez-Romero Antonio Tovar-Sánchez The contribution of penguin guano to the Southern Ocean iron pool |
topic_facet |
Science Q |
description |
Abstract Iron plays a crucial role in the high-nutrient, low-chlorophyll Southern Ocean regions, promoting phytoplankton growth and enhancing atmospheric carbon sequestration. In this area, iron-rich Antarctic krill (Euphausia superba) and baleen whale species, which are among their main predators, play a large role in the recycling of iron. However, penguins have received limited attention despite their representing the largest seabird biomass in the southern polar region. Here, we use breeding site guano volumes estimated from drone images, deep learning-powered penguin census, and guano chemical composition to assess the iron export to the Antarctic waters from one of the most abundant penguin species, the Chinstrap penguin (Pygoscelis antarcticus). Our results show that these seabirds are a relevant contributor to the iron remobilization pool in the Southern Ocean. With an average guano concentration of 3 mg iron g−1, we estimate that the Chinstrap penguin population is recycling 521 tonnes iron yr−1, representing the current iron contribution half of the amount these penguins were able to recycle four decades ago, as they have declined by more than 50% since then. |
format |
Article in Journal/Newspaper |
author |
Oleg Belyaev Erica Sparaventi Gabriel Navarro Araceli Rodríguez-Romero Antonio Tovar-Sánchez |
author_facet |
Oleg Belyaev Erica Sparaventi Gabriel Navarro Araceli Rodríguez-Romero Antonio Tovar-Sánchez |
author_sort |
Oleg Belyaev |
title |
The contribution of penguin guano to the Southern Ocean iron pool |
title_short |
The contribution of penguin guano to the Southern Ocean iron pool |
title_full |
The contribution of penguin guano to the Southern Ocean iron pool |
title_fullStr |
The contribution of penguin guano to the Southern Ocean iron pool |
title_full_unstemmed |
The contribution of penguin guano to the Southern Ocean iron pool |
title_sort |
contribution of penguin guano to the southern ocean iron pool |
publisher |
Nature Portfolio |
publishDate |
2023 |
url |
https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-023-37132-5 https://doaj.org/article/a4f35794cfd944809211d6716fda564d |
long_lat |
ENVELOPE(141.604,141.604,-66.775,-66.775) |
geographic |
Antarctic Guano Southern Ocean The Antarctic |
geographic_facet |
Antarctic Guano Southern Ocean The Antarctic |
genre |
Antarc* Antarctic Antarctic Krill antarcticus baleen whale Chinstrap penguin Euphausia superba Southern Ocean |
genre_facet |
Antarc* Antarctic Antarctic Krill antarcticus baleen whale Chinstrap penguin Euphausia superba Southern Ocean |
op_source |
Nature Communications, Vol 14, Iss 1, Pp 1-9 (2023) |
op_relation |
https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-023-37132-5 https://doaj.org/toc/2041-1723 doi:10.1038/s41467-023-37132-5 2041-1723 https://doaj.org/article/a4f35794cfd944809211d6716fda564d |
op_doi |
https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-023-37132-5 |
container_title |
Nature Communications |
container_volume |
14 |
container_issue |
1 |
_version_ |
1768379099826356224 |