S. Belviso et al., SIZE DISTRIBUTION OF DIMETHYLSULFONIOPROPIONATE (DMSP) IN AREAS OF THE TROPICAL NORTHEASTERN ATLANTIC-OCEAN AND THE MEDITERRANEAN-SEA, Marine chemistry, 44(1), 1993, pp. 55-71
Size fractionation of dimethylsulfoniopropionate (DMSP) was carried ou
t in 2 areas of the Mediterranean Sea and 2 areas of the tropical nort
heastern Atlantic Ocean. In the Mediterranean Sea, particles in the si
ze range 10-200 mum collected 15 m deep accounted for 16.0 +/- 4.6% an
d 39% of total particulate DMSP off Villefranche/Mer and off Banyuls/M
er, respectively. In the Atlantic Ocean, the study of the vertical siz
e distribution of particulate DMSP revealed that DMSP containing parti
cles in the size range 10-200 mum tend to accumulate at the pycnocline
and accounted for 26.0 +/- 7.2% and 36.3 +/- 11.6% of total particula
te DMSP at sites 18-degrees-30'N, 21-degrees-W and 21-degrees-N, 31-de
grees-W, respectively. Although particulate DMSP in mixed layer waters
of the tropical northeastern Atlantic Ocean was carried mainly by par
ticles in the size range 0.7-10 mum, no significant correlation was fo
und between concentration of dissolved compounds (dissolved DMSP+DMS i
n samples filtered through GF/F filters) and this DMSP fraction. Disso
lved DMSP + DMS levels were significantly correlated (r2 = 0.33, n = 2
4, P = 0.002) only with levels of particulate DMSP in the size range 1
0-200 mum. Since particulate DMSP in the size range 10-200 mum appeare
d not to be associated with microphytoplanktonic populations (diatoms
and dinoflagellates), it is suggested that some heterotrophic organism
s (microzooplankton) and/or detrital microscopic material (aggregates,
fecal pellets) could play a key role in controlling the concentration
s of dissolved DMSP and DMS in these waters. Depth profiles of DMSP le
vels in the size range 0.7-10 mum revealed that DMSP covaried with dia
dinoxanthin and zeaxanthin, two nonphotosynthetic carotenoids with pho
toprotective properties. This result provides the first in-situ indica
tion of light-dependent DMSP accumulation in nannophytoplankton (most
likely prymnesiophytes) and prochlorophytes.