PRODUCTION OF ISOPRENE BY MARINE-PHYTOPLANKTON CULTURES

While release of isoprene from the terrestrial biosphere is well estab lished and known to influence the tropospheric concentrations of a num ber of reactive species including ozone, very little is known of its p roduction in the ocean and possible release to the marine boundary lay er. Measurements reported here of low molecular weight trace gases pro duced by a series of laboratory phytoplankton have shown that isoprene is a major component. Though the results confirm that the oceans are a potential source of isoprene to the atmosphere, it is not possible t o extrapolate release rates from laboratory studies to the very differ ent conditions under which marine plants grow naturally.