Carbon disulphide production in laboratory cultures of marine phytoplankton

Abstract

Carbon disulphide (CS 2) data were collected from axenic monocultures of six species of marine phytoplankton. The tested species included Chaetoceros calcitrans, Phaeodactylum tricornutum, Phaeocystis sp., Porphyridium purpureum, Synechococcus sp. and Isochrysis sp. For a period of between two weeks and forty days, substantial accumulation of CS 2 was found in the cultures of C. calcitrans, P. tricornutum and Phaeocystis sp., whereas the change of CS 2 concentration in the remaining cultures was insignificant. C. calcitrans had a potential for CS 2 production about 10 times higher than P. tricornutum 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 sulphur compound in these cultures.