Dimethyl sulphoniopropionate

In seawater, DMS is produced from dimethyl-sulphoniopropionate (DMSP), which in turn is produced by phytoplankton. Specific species of phytoplankton are found to be responsible for most of the DMSP production in seawater. According to Liss et al. (1993) the potential for production of DMS in various taxonomic groups follows the order ... 

DMS is one of the breakdown products of dimethyl sulphoniopropionate (DMSP), a compound involved in regulating cellular osmotic pressure in algae (Dickson et al,1980). Dacey and Wakeham (1986) observed that ingestion of phytoplankton by zooplankton releases DMS into the water column and this "harvesting" of phytoplankton during bloom periods releases substantial quantities of DMS into the atmosphere, with values increasing 40 to 60 fold over those during non-bloom periods (Turner and Liss 1985). 

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