EMISSIONS OF HYDROCARBONS FROM MARINE-PHYTOPLANKTON - SOME RESULTS FROM CONTROLLED LABORATORY EXPERIMENTS

Laboratory experiments have been carried out to help assess and quanti fy the role of marine phytoplankton in the production of non-methane h ydrocarbons. Evidence is presented here that supports the hypothesis t hat some short-chain hydrocarbons are produced during diatom and dinof lagellate lifecycles. The pattern of their emissions to the air above axenic unicultures of diatoms and dinoflagellates has been followed. T he results suggest that ethane, ethene, propane and propene are produc ed during the autolysis of some phytoplankton, possibly by the oxidati on of polyunsaturated lipids released into their culture medium. In co ntrast, isoprene and hexane appear during phytoplankton growth and are thus most likely produced either directly by the plankton or through the oxidation of exuded dissolved organic carbon. Copyright (C) 1996 E lsevier Science Ltd.