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The grazing of abundant microzooplankton causes ultrahigh seawater dimethylsulfide during Southern Ocean algal blooms
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  • Miming Zhang,
  • Dennis Booge,
  • Jinpei Yan,
  • Chen Liang,
  • Yanfang Wu,
  • Yang Bo,
  • Suqing Xu,
  • Jianjun Wang,
  • Jun Zhao,
  • Dong Li,
  • Jianmin Pan,
  • Keyhong Park
Miming Zhang
Third Institute of Oceanography Ministry of Natural Resources

Corresponding Author:[email protected]

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Dennis Booge
GEOMAR
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Jinpei Yan
Third Institute of Oceanography Ministry of Natural Resources
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Chen Liang
Minjiang University
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Yanfang Wu
University of New South Wales
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Yang Bo
University of Virginia
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Suqing Xu
Third Institute of Oceanography Ministry of Natural Resources
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Jianjun Wang
Third Institute of Oceanography Ministry of Natural Resources
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Jun Zhao
Second Institute of Oceanography Ministry of Natural Resources
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Dong Li
Second Institute of Oceanography Ministry of Natural Resources
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Jianmin Pan
Second Institute of Oceanography Ministry of Natural Resources
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Keyhong Park
Korea Polar Research Institute
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Abstract

Oceanic dimethylsulfide (DMS) is hypothesized to impact cloud formation and solar radiation budget at Earth’s surface. Ultrahigh seawater DMS concentrations, up to hundreds of nM, have been observed in the Southern Ocean, which are commonly attributed to concurrent high phytoplankton biomass. However, phytoplankton biomass cannot fully explain the mechanism leading to those extreme values. Herein, we show the results, including seawater DMS concentrations and other biological and environmental parameters, in the water column collected in austral summer of 2015-2016 at the tip of Antarctic Peninsula. Notably, large-scale ultrahigh seawater DMS (up to 85.2 nM and generally above 40 nM in the upper layer) were observed only in areas with co-existing phytoplankton blooms and abundant microzooplankton (indicated by ciliates, whose abundance and biomass were above 1000 ind L-1 and 2 μg L-1, respectively), suggesting the grazing of abundant microzooplankton cause the ultrahigh seawater DMS during the bloom seasons of Southern Ocean.