Dimethyl sulfide in the Baltic Sea: Annual variability in relation to biological activity
- Univ. of Stockholm (Sweden)
The in situ variation of dimethyl sulfide (CH{sub 3}SCH{sub 3}, DMS) at a fixed station in a coastal area of the Baltic Sea has been studied for a period of time (January 1987 to June 1988) covering the annual biological cycle. DMS in the surface waters of the brackish Baltic Sea showed a clear seasonal variation, ranging from 2 to 200 ng S/l. Lowest concentrations were in winter, peak values followed the spring bloom, and a pronounced maximum was found during the summer. Concentrations above low winter levels occurred only when the trophogenic layer was depleted of inorganic nitrogen. From data it is clear that the seasonal variation in DMS concentration is related to biological activity. However, the authors did not find any correlations between DMS concentration and gross parameters such as chlorophyll a, total phytoplankton biomass, or primary production on an annual basis. Further, they were not able to relate high DMS concentrations to any particular phytoplankton species or species assemblages. It appears that DMS production is primarily associated with phytoplankton growth under nitrogen-limited conditions and not with certain species. The authors found a significant correlation of ambient DMS concentration with copepod and total zooplankton biomass, suggesting zooplankton grazing pressure as the major factor responsible for the liberation of {beta}-dimethylsulfoniopropionate (DMSP) from phytoplankton cells and thus for the DMS production. The turnover time of DMS in the water column was calculated to be of the order of 2 days, and the most effective sink process seems to be microbiological and/or chemical origin.
- OSTI ID:
- 5029700
- Journal Information:
- Journal of Geophysical Research; (United States), Journal Name: Journal of Geophysical Research; (United States) Vol. 95:C3; ISSN 0148-0227; ISSN JGREA
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
Similar Records
On the biogenic origin of dimethylsulfide: Relation between chlorophyll, ATP, organismic DMSP, phytoplankton species, and DMS distribution in Atlantic surface water and atmosphere
Seasonal and annual dynamics of particulate carbon flux in the Barents Sea
Related Subjects
540320* -- Environment
Aquatic-- Chemicals Monitoring & Transport-- (1990-)
AIR POLLUTION
AQUATIC ORGANISMS
BALTIC SEA
BIOMASS
CARBOXYLIC ACIDS
CHALCOGENIDES
CHEMICAL REACTIONS
CHEMISTRY
CHLOROPHYLL
CORRELATIONS
DEGASSING
ECOLOGICAL CONCENTRATION
ENERGY SOURCES
HETEROCYCLIC ACIDS
HETEROCYCLIC COMPOUNDS
ORGANIC ACIDS
ORGANIC COMPOUNDS
ORGANIC NITROGEN COMPOUNDS
ORGANIC SULFUR COMPOUNDS
OXIDES
OXYGEN COMPOUNDS
PHOTOCHEMICAL REACTIONS
PHYTOCHROMES
PHYTOPLANKTON
PIGMENTS
PLANKTON
POLLUTION
POLLUTION SOURCES
PORPHYRINS
PROTEINS
RENEWABLE ENERGY SOURCES
SEAS
SEASONAL VARIATIONS
SINKS
SULFONIC ACIDS
SULFUR COMPOUNDS
SULFUR CYCLE
SULFUR DIOXIDE
SULFUR OXIDES
SURFACE WATERS
TIME DEPENDENCE
VARIATIONS
WATER CHEMISTRY
ZOOPLANKTON