Glass or Teflon: Saga of the Marine Organosulfur Cycle Through Experiments and Measurements

Nearly all oceanic-derived dimethylsulfide (DMS) and acrylate and their biological precursor, dimethylsulphoniopropionate (DMSP), are cycled in the ocean through a complex web of biogeochemical processes involving all trophic levels. DMSP is particularly important, as it is a quantitatively significant component of the carbon, sulfur, and energy flows in the oceans. Most of the main algal groups found in the oceans (diatoms, prymnesiophytes and dinoflagellates) are important DMSP and acrylate producers, with some forming massive blooms that are easily visible from space (e.g., Phaeocystis antarctica and Emiliania huxleyi). For some algae, cellular concentrations of DMSP and acrylate are sufficiently high that they serve as de facto antioxidants, without the need to regulate cellular concentrations for this function. These discoveries and many others have depended on the development of new methods, sampling protocols and molecular techniques. This is particularly true for methods developed to quantify and study DMS, DMSP, acrylate and dimethylsulfoxide in marine samples, as uncertainties (e.g., rates) directly impact our understanding of the biogeochemical importance of these compounds. To illustrate this point, and the importance of assessing methods, several uncertainties associated with studying DMSP will be highlighted, including the assumption that Teflon bottles are the gold standard for incubations.