摘要

A total of 22 sea surface microlayer samples collected from the Nansha Islands waters of the South China Sea were analyzed for dimethylsulfide (DMS), chlorophyll a and nutrients including nitrate, phosphate and silicate. The DMS concentrations in surface microlayer samples ranged from 82 to 280 ng Sjl with a mean of 145 ng S/1. A significant correlation was found between DMS and chlorophyll a data both in the surface microlayer as well as in the subsurface water. However, no correlation was observed between DMS and nutrient concentrations in the surface microlayer. The DMS concentrations were higher in all surface microlayer samples, compared with subsurface samples. The enrichment factor (EF) of DMS in the surface microlayer varied from 1.21 to 3.08 with an average of 1.95. The EF of DMS was significantly correlated with that of chlorophyll a in the microlayer. The enrichment of DMS in the microlayer may be due to two factors, including the in situ production from phytoplankton and the transportation from the underlying seawater. The diel variations in DMS and chlorophyll a concentrations were studied at a fixed station. The highest concentrations of DMS in the surface microlayer and subsurface water were simultaneously observed in the late afternoon (1800 h), while the highest levels of chlorophyll a were simultaneously found at night (0200 h).