Carbon disulphide production in laboratory cultures of marine phytoplankton

Carbon disulphide (CS2) data were collected from axenic monocultures of six species of marine phytoplankton. The tested species included Chaetoceros c alcitrans, Phaeodactylum tricornutum, Phaeocystis sp., Porphyridium purpure um, Synechococcus sp. and Isochrysis sp. For a period of between two weeks and forty days, substantial accumulation of CSI was found in the cultures o f C. calcitrans, P. tricornutum and Phaeocystis sp., whereas the change of CS2 concentration in the remaining cultures was insignificant. C. calcitran s had a potential for CS2 production about 10 times higher than P. tricornu tum or Phaeocystis sp. The formation of the compound was strongly dependent on the physiological state of the cultured species. More investigation is needed to elucidate the mechanisms responsible for the formation of this su lphur compound in these cultures. (C) 1999 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.