Dimethylsulfide in the surface water of the East China Sea

Dimethylsulfide (DMS) concentrations were measured in surface seawater samples collected at 32 stations in the East China Sea. The DMS concentrations varied from 1.8 to 5.7 nmol/L with an average of 3.4 nmol/L. The high concentrations of DMS were found in productive regions on the continental shelf. The horizontal distribution of DMS was closely related to the distribution trend of chlorophyll a. A highly significant correlation was found between the DMS and chlorophyll a data for all the samples. DMS concentration was also significantly correlated to the level of primary production in the studied sea area. Other environmental factors for influencing the distribution of DMS, such as zooplankton biomass, surface seawater temperature, salinity and nutrients (including nitrate, phosphate and silicate) were also examined. Among these factors, both zooplankton biomass and nitrate content appeared to be significantly correlated to the DMS concentration. The flux of DMS from the East China Sea to the atmosphere was estimated to be 3.4 μmol/m2/d.