Reduced oceanic sulfur emissions could add to climate woes

Nature : According to their recent study published in Nature Climate Change, Katharina Six of the Max Planck Institute for Meteorology in Germany and colleagues have found that oceanic concentrations of dimethyl sulfide, a biogenic sulfur compound, are decreasing as the pH level of the seawater decreases. The world’s oceans have been growing more acidic as they soak up excess manmade carbon dioxide from the atmosphere. And that acidity may be affecting marine phytoplankton, the source of the dimethyl sulfide. Marine sulfur emissions are important because they are the largest natural source of atmospheric sulfur, which helps seed cloud formation and radiate heat away from Earth. For decades it had been assumed that warming temperatures would increase phytoplankton productivity and help cool the planet, but this recent study indicates that the exact opposite may be true.