Springtime Spatial Distributions of Biogenic Sulfur Compounds in the Yangtze River Estuary and Their Responses to Seawater Acidification and Dust

Abstract

AbstractThe spatial distributions of dimethylsulfide (DMS), dimethylsulfoniopropionate (DMSP), and dimethylsulfoxide (DMSO) were investigated in the Yangtze River Estuary from 9 to 23 March, 2018. The average concentrations of DMS, dissolved DMSP (DMSPd), particulate DMSP (DMSPp), dissolved DMSO (DMSOd) and particulate DMSO (DMSOp) were 3.00 ± 2.53, 1.75 ± 1.08, 10.89 ± 14.28, 9.80 ± 7.79, and 9.51 ± 8.90 nmol L−1, respectively. The high DMS and DMSP concentrations occurred mainly in the open sea, exhibiting distribution patterns similar to chlorophyll a (Chl‐a). Due to the release of resuspended sediments, elevated DMSO concentrations were observed in the bottom waters of some stations. The three sulfur compounds were positively correlated with Chl‐a (p < 0.05), suggesting that phytoplankton played an essential role in the production of sulfur compounds. Comparisons with previous research showed that the concentrations of DMS, DMSP, and DMSOp exhibited clear seasonal variability. The average sea‐to‐air flux of DMS was 8.19 ± 12.94 μmol m−2 d−1 in the study area, indicating that the estuary and continental shelf sea were significant contributors to the global sulfur cycle. Ship‐based incubation experiments showed that lower pH inhibited the production of the three biogenic sulfur compounds, while the addition of dust promoted their release. Therefore, in the future, the inhibitory effect of seawater acidification on the production of phytoplankton and sulfur compounds might be offset, to some degree, by the input of nutrient‐rich dust.