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Urine from seabirds is a major source of ammonia in the atmosphere, damaging
local plants and contributing to acid rain. Sarah Wanless of the British
government’s Centre for Ecology and Hydrology at Banchory in Scotland has found
ammonia concentrations in the air near seabird colonies that are 20 times as
high as those typically found around chicken factory farms. Factory farms were
previously thought to be the main source of ammonia in the atmosphere, which
contributes to acid rain and the “nitrogen overload” of many ecosystems. Early
findings suggest gannets are among the worst offenders.