DMS behaviors in pen culture of Sinonovacula constricta in Longhai, China

Dimethyl sulfide (DMS) released by the ocean has received widespread attention due to its role in aerosol formation and impact on global climate change. Research on DMS mainly focuses on coastal and open ocean environments, with limited studies addressing the influence of aquaculture activities on the production and release of marine DMS. Thus, we investigated whether fertilization for algae cultivation and the feeding process in pen culture of Sinonovacula constricta significantly contribute to DMS release. We found notable diurnal variations in DMS concentrations during and after the culture period in the ponds. During the post-culture period, both the concentration and flux of DMS in the ponds were higher than those during the culture period. The average flux of DMS during the culture and post-culture period were only 0.1 ± 0.1 μmol/(m²·d) and 0.4 ± 0.3 μmol/(m²·d), respectively, indicating that aquaculture activities of Sinonovacula constricta may not produce or release substantial DMS when compared with those from the coastal aeras and open oceans.