Measurements of various sulphur gases in a coastal marine environment

Abstract

Measurements of several sulphur gases have been made in coastal seawaters (including microlayers) and marine air off Great Yarmouth, U.K., and in a freshwater lake. The results show dimethyl sulphide to be the dominant sulphur gas in all the waters examined, with lesser amounts of carbonyl sulphide and carbon disulphide. For the marine air and water samples carbonyl sulphide showed no significant seasonal variation in concentration. The seawater was always supersaturated with respect to the carbonyl sulphide concentration in the air; the mean saturation value being 4.6. Likewise the seawater was always supersaturated with dimethyl sulphide, but for this gas the concentrations in the water showed substantial seasonal variation (x 40), with a maximum value of about 500 ng(S)1 q in late June, approximately contemporaneous with the second plankton bloom in the region.Sea surface microlayers harvested cryogenically showed a mean enrichment of 2.4 relative to subsurface water for carbonyl sulphide. Some part of the observed microlayer enrichment for this gas may be due to freezing-on of atmospheric carbonyl sulplride onto the frozen microlayer sample. In general, microlayer samples did not exhibit a significant enrichment for dimethyl sulphide. However, under conditions of high biological production, enrichments of several-fold were found, but may be attributable, at least in part, to biological production of dimethyl sulphide in the microlayer water in the period between collection and analysis.

Bacterial CS2 Hydrolases from Acidithiobacillus thiooxidans Strains Are Homologous to the Archaeal Catenane CS2 Hydrolase

“…Saline marshes and estuaries are rich sources of CS 2 (47,48). Also, the haloalkaline soda lakes harbor an active sulfur cycle with a high biodiversity of sulfur-oxidizing bacteria (SOB) that respire mainly on sulfide, thiosulfate (S 2 O 3 2Ϫ ), and polysulfide (49).…”

The seasonal variation of dimethyl sulfide and dimethylsulfoniopropionate concentrations in nearshore waters1

“…Water samples were analyzed for DMS with a cryogenic purge-and-trap method (Turner and Liss 1985) in line with a Varian 3700 gas chromatograph fitted with a Chromosil 330 column (SUPELCO) and flame photometric detector (Aerograph dual flame detector with a 365-nm optical filter). Subsamples of the same water were analyzed for DMSP after cold alkali treatment.…”

“…Dimethyl sulfide (DMS) is the most abundant volatile sulfur compound in seawater Turner and Liss 1985). After evasion to the atmosphere, DMS undergoes photochemical oxidation to sulfate via a number of suggested intermediates including methane sulfonic acid, MeSO,H, and dimethyl sulfoxide, DMS0 (Andreae 1986).…”

Long-distance navigation in sea turtles

“…Thus, diverse cues or behavioral strategies might normally assist turtles in locating an island at the end of a migration (CARR 1984, LOHMANN et al 1997. Among potentially useful cues are wave diffraction patterns around an island (LEWIS 1978), pheromones from nesting or mating conspecifics (EHRENFELD & EHRENFELD 1973), chemical cues unique to a natal beach area (GRASSMAN et al 1984), chemical cues such as dimethyl sulfide that may signal nearby shallow water areas (TURNER & LISS 1985, NEVITT et al 1995, long-range visual landmarks such as mountains (CARR 1984), and the sounds of waves breaking (MROSOVSKY 1972. Mechanisms involving interactions with other turtles are also possible , inasmuch as turtles that have navigated into the appropriate region for the first time might encounter other members of the population that are migrating to the same goal; thus, following an experienced conspecific at the end of a migration could lead an inexperienced turtle to an appropriate nesting site (HEN-DRICKSON 1958).…”