7 things you didn’t know about poo in Antarctica

9 December, 2024

Poo isn’t usually what first comes to mind when thinking of Antarctica, we tend to imagine the frozen landscape, vast expanses of white, ice sheets, and penguins. Yet, poo is an important part of some of the science and operations happening in the frozen continent. 

Here are 7 things you may not know about poo in Antarctica: 

 1. Scientists study penguin poo in images from space. 

Guano (the scientific name for seabird poo) can be seen in images taken by satellites. This allows scientists to track penguin colonies, monitor populations and even discover new colonies in remote and inhospitable areas around the Antarctic coastline. Guano changes colour over the season which means different species, which breed at different times, can be identified by the colour of the guano at the time the satellite image was taken.  

Satellite image of a colony of emperor penguins on an ice shelf, showing brown patches of penguin poo.
The Halley Bay emperor penguin colony at Windy Creek on the Brunt Ice Shelf, showing brown areas of penguin guano. Photo by Peter Fretwell.

2. People working in Antarctica must follow strict rules on how poo is disposed of. 

The Antarctic Treaty states that waste produced and disposed of in the Antarctic Treaty Area (all land and ocean south of 60̊S) must be minimised as far as practicable. There are strict rules on how waste must be treated, stored and disposed of, and this includes sewage, according to Annex III to the Protocol on Environmental Protection to the Antarctic Treaty.  

Map of Antarctica with flags of 57 signatories arranged in concentric circles over the top. On a grey background.
Flags of the 57 Antarctic Treaty Signatories (as of December 2024). 12 original signatory nations on the inner circle.

3. Scientists have found that plastic pollution in the Southern Ocean could reduce how much carbon krill poo stores in the deep ocean.  

 Krill are ‘climate heroes’ as their poo sinks to the deep ocean and sequesters carbon. However, a recent scientific discovery shows that nanoplastics in seawater could reduce the ability of krill poo to store carbon in the deep ocean by 27%.  

Close up photo of Antarctic krill on black background.
Antarctic Krill (Euphausia superba). Photo by Pete Bucktrout.

4. As part of the modernisation of BAS facilities in Antarctica, a new sewage treatment plant is being transported by ship to Rothera Research Station.

 The system is made of two containers where all the human poo and wee gets treated, filtered and comes out the other end as cleaner water. Millions of microorganisms inside the system play a crucial part in breaking down the human waste.   

The new sewage treatment plant will be vital for Rothera Research Station where the amount of people (and poo) varies drastically throughout the year.

Rothera Research Station from above, showing the new Discovery building, a large blue building, and the resurfaced runway in the foreground.
Modernisation at Rothera Research Station showing the new Discovery Building and resurfaced runway.

5. Seal and penguin poo is important for Antarctic terrestrial biodiversity. 

The nutrients in seal and penguin poo feeds algae, mosses and lichens in surrounding areas, which then feed invertebrates, like springtails and mites. Scientist have found fertile hotspots fed by nitrogen from the poo that are up to 240 times the size of the animal colonies.  

A colony of chinstrap penguins spread across rocky ground. the ground is reddish brown colour due to penguin poo. The ocean can be seen in the background.
Colony of chinstrap penguins at Nelson Island. The reddish brown colour is penguin poo. Photo by Vicky Warwick-Evans.

6. Out in the field and away from stations, researchers use field toilets.  

 A common field toilet set up is a bucket dug into the snow with a wooden seat on top. This is typically in a separate toilet tent, known as a “doo loo”. The human waste is collected and transported to the research station to be disposed of.  

A wooden toilet seat on top of a hole dug into snow.
A field toilet set-up.

7. Collecting whale poo samples helps scientists to understand whale diets.  

When undertaking research missions near South Georgia (not strictly Antarctica, but close!) scientists are always keeping an eye out for whale poos. When the opportunity arises, they collect samples of the whale poo to investigate their diets. 

A whale swimming in a body of water.
Southern Right Whale.