Decreased marine dimethyl sulfide production under elevated CO2 levels in mesocosm and in vitro studies

Article

<< Previous

Next >>

Contents Vol 9(4)

doi:10.1071/EN11125

Environmental problems - Chemical approaches

	Search




	Advanced Search



	Journal Home

	About the Journal

	Editorial Boards

	Contacts



	Content

	Online Early

	Current Issue

	Just Accepted

	All Issues

	Special Issues

	Research Fronts

	Sample Issue



	For Authors

	General Information

	Notice to Authors

	Submit Article

	Open Access



	For Referees

	Referee Guidelines

	Review Article



	For Subscribers

	Subscription Prices

	Customer Service

e-Alerts

Subscribe to our Email Alert or

feeds for the latest journal papers.

Connect with us

Decreased marine dimethyl sulfide production under elevated CO₂ levels in mesocosm and in vitro studies

Valia Avgoustidi ^A ^B ^C, Philip D. Nightingale ^B, Ian Joint ^B, Michael Steinke ^D, Suzanne M. Turner ^A, Frances E. Hopkins ^B and Peter S. Liss ^A ^E

^A School of Environmental Sciences, University of East Anglia, Norwich, NR4 7TJ, UK.
^B Plymouth Marine Laboratory, Prospect Place, Plymouth, PL1 3DH, UK.
^C Hellenic Centre for Marine Research, Institute of Oceanography, PO Box 712 Anavissos, 19013, Greece.
^D Department of Biological Sciences, University of Essex, Colchester, CO4 3SQ, UK.
^E Corresponding author. Email: p.liss@uea.ac.uk

Environmental Chemistry 9(4) 399-404 http://dx.doi.org/10.1071/EN11125
Submitted: 6 October 2011 Accepted: 8 June 2012 Published: 20 August 2012





	PDF (1.1 MB) $25



	Export Citation

Print

Environmental context. As atmospheric CO₂ levels rise due to human activities, more of the gas dissolves in the oceans, increasing their acidity. The effect of these seawater changes on marine organisms is largely unknown. We examine the consequences of higher CO₂ levels on the production by plankton of dimethyl sulfide, a climatically active gas. We find that higher CO₂ levels leads to lower concentrations of dimethyl sulfide in the seawater, which has potentially important implications for the future climate.

Abstract. The oceans have absorbed approximately half of the CO₂ produced by human activities and it is inevitable that surface seawaters will become increasingly acidified. The effect of lower pH on marine organisms and ocean–atmosphere exchanges is largely unknown but organisms with CaCO₃ structural components are likely to be particularly affected. Because calcifying phytoplankton are significant producers of dimethyl sulfide (DMS), it is vital to understand how lower seawater pH may affect DMS production and emission to the atmosphere. Here we show, by mesocosm (Raunefjorden, Norway, April–May 2003) and in vitro studies, that the net production of DMS and its cellular precursor dimethylsulfoniopropionate (DMSP) is approximately halved in microbial communities subjected to doubled CO₂ levels. Our findings provide evidence that the amount of DMS entering the atmosphere could decrease in the future. Because atmospheric oxidation of DMS can lead to climate cooling by increasing cloud albedo, a consequence of reduced DMS emissions from a lower pH ocean would be an enhancement in global warming.

References

[1] M. Chin, D. J. Jacob, Anthropogenic and natural contributions to tropospheric sulfate: a global model analysis. J. Geophys. Res. 1996, 101, 18691.
| CrossRef | CAS |

[2] M. O. Andreae, Ocean–atmosphere interactions in the global biogeochemical sulfur cycle. Mar. Chem. 1990, 30, 1.
| CrossRef | CAS |

[3] M. D. Keller, W. K. Bellows, R. R. L. Gillard, Dimethyl sulfide production in marine phytoplankton, in Biogenic sulfur in the environment (Eds E. S. Saltzman, W. J. Cooper) 1989, pp. 167–182 (American Chemical Society: Washington, DC).

[4] M. Steinke, G. V. Wolfe, G. O. Kirst, Partial characterisation of dimethylsulfoniopropionate (DMSP) lyase isozymes in 6 strains of Emiliania huxleyi. Mar. Ecol. Prog. Ser. 1998, 175, 215.
| CrossRef | CAS |

[5] P. S. Liss, A. D. Hatton, G. Malin, P. D. Nightingale, S. M. Turner, Marine sulphur emissions. Philos. Trans. R. Soc. Lond. B Biol. Sci. 1997, 352, 159.
| CrossRef | CAS |

[6] R. P. Kiene, L. J. Linn, J. A. Bruton, New and important roles for DMSP in marine microbial communities. J. Sea Res. 2000, 43, 209.
| CrossRef | CAS |

[7] R. J. Charlson, J. E. Lovelock, M. O. Andreae, S. G. Warren, Oceanic phytoplankton, atmospheric sulphur, cloud albedo and climate. Nature 1987, 326, 655.
| CrossRef | CAS |

[8] A. Engel, K. G. Schulz, U. Riebesell, R. Bellerby, B. Delille, M. Schartau, Effects of CO₂ on particle size distribution and phytoplankton abundance during a mesocosm bloom experiment (PeECE II). Biogeosciences 2008, 5, 509.
| CrossRef | CAS |

[9] V. Avgoustidi, Dimethyl Sulphide Production in a Double-CO₂ World 2006, Ph.D. thesis, University of East Anglia, Norwich.

[10] S. M. Turner, G. Malin, L. E. Badanger, C. Leck, Interlabortaoty calibration and sample analysis of dimethyl sulphide in water. Mar. Chem. 1990, 29, 47.
| CrossRef | CAS |

[11] F. E. Hopkins, S. M. Turner, P. D. Nightingale, M. Steinke, D. Bakker, P. S. Liss, Ocean acidification and marine trace gas emissions. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 2010, 107, 760. [Published online early 22 December 2009]
| CrossRef | CAS |

[12] M. D. Keller, R. P. Kiene, P. A. Matrai, W. K. Bellows, Production of glycine betaine and dimethylsulfoniopropionate in marine phytoplankton, I. Batch cultures. Mar. Biol. 1999, 135, 237.
| CrossRef | CAS |

[13] R. P. Kiene, T. S. Bates, Biological removal of dimethyl sulphide from sea-water. Nature 1990, 345, 702.
| CrossRef | CAS |

[14] M. Allgaier, U. Riebesell, M. Vogt, R. Thyrhaug, H.-P. Grossart, Coupling of heterotrophic bacteria to phytoplankton bloom development at different pCO₂ levels: a mesocosm study. Biogeosciences 2008, 5, 1007.
| CrossRef | CAS |

[15] I. Joint, S. C. Doney, D. M. Karl, Will ocean acidification affect marine microbes? ISME 2010, 5, 1. [Published online early 10 June 2010]
| CrossRef |

[16] J. Stefels, M. Steinke, S. Turner, G. Malin, S. Belviso, Environmental constraints on the production and removal of the climatically active gas dimethylsulphide (DMS) and implications for ecosystem modelling. Biogeochemistry 2007, 83, 245.
| CrossRef | CAS |

[17] J.-M. Kim, K. Lee, E. J. Yang, K. Shin, J. H. Noh, K.-T. Park, B. Hyun, H.-J. Jeong, J.-K. Kim, K. Y. Kim, M. Kim, H.-C. Kim, P.-G. Jang, M.-C. Jang, Enhanced production of oceanic dimethylsulfide resulting from CO₂-induced grazing activity in a high CO₂ world. Environ. Sci. Technol. 2010, 44, 8140.
| CrossRef | CAS |

[18] K. Suffrian, P. Simonelli, J. C. Nejstgaard, S. Putzeys, Y. Carotenuto, A. N. Antia, Microzooplankton grazing and phytoplankton growth in marine mesocosms with increased CO₂ levels. Biogeosciences 2008, 5, 1145.
| CrossRef | CAS |

[19] M. D. Iglesias-Rodriguez, P. R. Halloran, R. E. M. Rickaby, I. R. Hall, E. Colmenero-Hidalgo, J. R. Gittins, D. R. H. Green, T. Tyrrell, S. J. Gibbs, P. von Dassow, E. Rehm, E. V. Armbrust, K. P. Boessenkool, Phytoplankton calcification in a high-CO₂ world. Science 2008, 320, 336.
| CrossRef | CAS |

[20] O. W. Wingenter, K. B. Haase, M. Zeigler, D. R. Blake, F. S. Rowland, B. C. Sive, B. A. Paulino, R. Thyrhaug, A. Larsen, K. G. Schulz, M. Meyerhofer, U. Riebesell, Unexpected consequences of increasing CO₂ and ocean acidity on marine production of DMS and CH₂ClI: potential climate impacts. Geophys. Res. Lett. 2007, 34, L05710.
| CrossRef |

[21] M. Vogt, M. Steinke, S. Turner, A. Paulino, M. Meyerhofer, U. Riebesell, C. LeQuere, P. Liss, Dynamics of dimethylsulphoniopropionate and dimethylsulphide under different CO₂ concentrations during a mesocosm experiment. Biogeosciences 2008, 5, 407.
| CrossRef | CAS |

[22] P. A. Lee, J. R. Rudisill, A. R. Neeley, J. M. Maucher, D. A. Hutchins, Y. Feng, C. E. Hare, K. Leblanc, J. M. Rose, S. W. Wilhelm, J. M. Rowe, G. R. DiTullio, Effects of increased pCO₂ and temperature on the North Atlantic spring bloom. III. Dimethylsulfoniopropionate. Mar. Ecol. Prog. Ser. 2009, 388, 41.
| CrossRef | CAS |

[23] J. Gunson, S. A. Spall, T. R. Anderson, A. Jones, I. J. Totterdall, M. J. Woodage, Climate sensitivity to ocean dimethylsulphide emissions. Geophys. Res. Lett. 2006, 33, L07701.
| CrossRef |

Subscriber Login

	Username: Password:

Legal & Privacy | Contact Us | Help