Influence of salinity on dimethyl sulfide and methanethiol formation in estuarine sediments and its side effect on nitrous oxide emissions

We investigated the regulatory effect of salinity on the production of dimethylsulfide (DMS) and methanethiol (MeSH) in estuarine sediments and the potential interactions with the nitrous oxide (N₂O) reductase step of the denitrification pathway. This was achieved by monitoring DMS, MeSH and N₂O accumulation in sediment slurries retrieved from a temperate estuary (Ave, NW Portugal). Treatments were performed with and without amendments of potential sulfur gas precursors, DMSP (0–50?μM) or methionine (0–500?μM) at different salinities (0, 15 and 30?ppt). Experimental increases of salinity inhibited DMS accumulation under both oxic and anoxic incubation conditions, and the pattern was observed whether DMSP or methionine was added or not, i.e. lower salinities stimulated DMS net production. In contrast, MeSH tended to accumulate to higher concentrations in higher salinity treatments (15 and 30?ppt). Our results also suggest that while salinity had a direct influence on N₂O accumulation, it also may modulated N₂O production through its regulatory effect on the formation of MeSH, a compound previously shown to inhibit N₂O reduction activity. Overall, our results suggest that changes in salinity may have an important regulatory role in net production of DMS, MeSH and N₂O and their potential emissions to the atmosphere.     

Linkages between organic matter mineralization and denitrification in eight riparian wetlands

Denitrification (N₂ production) and oxygen consumption rates were measured at ambient field nitrate concentrations during summer in sediments from eight wetlands (mixed hardwood swamps, cedar swamps, heath dominated shrub wetland, herbaceous peatland, and a wetland lacking live vegetation) and two streams. The study sites included wetlands in undisturbed watersheds and in watersheds with considerable agricultural and/or sewage treatment effluent input. Denitrification rates measured in intact cores of water-saturated sediment ranged from 20 to 260 mol N m^-2 h^-1 among the three undisturbed wetlands and were less variable (180 to 260 mol N M^-2 h^-1) among the four disturbed wetlands. Denitrification rates increased when nitrate concentrations in the overlying water were increased experimentally (1 up to 770 M), indicating that nitrate was an important factor controlling denitrification rates. However, rates of nitrate uptake from the overlying water were not a good predictor of denitrification rates because nitrification in the sediments also supplied nitrate for denitrification. Regardless of the dominant vegetation, pH, or degree of disturbance, denitrification rates were best correlated with sediment oxygen consumption rates (r ² = 0.912) indicating a relationship between denitrification and organic matter mineralization and/or sediment nitrification rates. Rates of denitrification in the wetland sediments were similar to those in adjacent stream sediments. Rates of denitrification in these wetlands were within the range of rates previously reported for water-saturated wetland sediments and flooded soils using whole core¹⁵N techniques that quantify coupled nitrification/denitrification, and were higher than rates reported from aerobic (non-saturated) wetland sediments using acetylene block methods.     

Demethylation of Dimethylsulfoniopropionate and Production of Thiols in Anoxic Marine Sediments

Dimethylsulfoniopropionate (DMSP) is a natural product of algae and aquatic plants, particularly those from saline environments. We investigated whether DMSP could serve as a precursor of thiols in anoxic coastal marine sediments. The addition of 10 or 60 μM DMSP to anoxic sediment slurries caused the concentrations of 3-mercaptopropionate (3-MPA) and methanethiol (MSH) to increase. Antibiotics prevented the appearance of these thiols, indicating biological formation. Dimethyl sulfide (DMS) and acrylate also accumulated after the addition of DMSP, but these compounds were rapidly metabolized by microbes and did not reach high levels. Acrylate and DMS were probably generated by the enzymatic cleavage of DMSP. MSH arose from the microbial metabolism of DMS, since the direct addition of DMS greatly increased MSH production. Additions of 3-methiolpropionate gave rise to 3-MPA at rates similar to those with DMSP, suggesting that sequential demethylation of DMSP leads to 3-MPA formation. Only small amounts of MSH were liberated from 3-methiolpropionate, indicating that demethiolation was not a major transformation for 3-methiolpropionate. We conclude that DMSP was degraded in anoxic sediments by two different pathways. One involved the well-known enzymatic cleavage to acrylate and DMS, with DMS subsequently serving as a precursor of MSH. In the other pathway, successive demethylations of the sulfur atom proceeded via 3-methiolpropionate to 3-MPA.     

闽江河口短叶茳芏群落湿地沉积物反硝化强度对盐度的响应

为了探讨河口区湿地沉积物反硝化强度对盐度的响应,2015年7月选择闽江河口覆盖短叶茳芏的鳝鱼滩和道庆洲湿地沉积物为研究对象,采用密封厌氧培养,计算不同培养时期在不同盐度下的反硝化速率。结果表明,在反硝化培养的初期,鳝鱼滩的反硝化速率从低盐度到高盐度分别为(15.5±1.38)、(4.28±8.46)、(12.94±0.24)mg kg~(-1)d~(-1),道庆洲分别为(31.93±4.89)、(30.66±5.375)、(36.69±3.44)mg kg~(-1)d~(-1),鳝鱼滩的10天反硝化速率在0和10盐度下降幅度分别是5天的36.97%、53.01%,高于道庆洲22.64%、28.84%,后期随着时间的变化整体上呈现减小的趋势并趋于0。另外,鳝鱼滩和道庆洲反硝化活性随着时间呈现逐渐增加的趋势,其鳝鱼滩变化幅度在95.6%—99.8%,道庆洲为90.0%—96.7%,整个培养期间,鳝鱼滩的反硝化活性均高于道庆洲的反硝化活性。以上结果反映出盐度对闽江河口湿地沉积物的反硝化速率起到一定的抑制作用。     

Dynamics of Dimethyl Sulfide in a Marine Microbial Mat

Abstract The microbial mat was chosen as a model ecosystem to study dynamics of dimethyl sulfide (DMS) in marine sediments in order to gain insight into key processes and factors which determine emission rates. A practical advantage, compared to open ocean ecosystems, is that microbial mats contain high biomasses of different functional groups of bacteria involved in DMS dynamics, and that DMS concentrations are generally high enough to allow direct measurement of emission rates. Field data showed that, during the seasonal development of microbial mats, concentrations of chlorophyll a corresponded to dimethylsulfoniopropionate (DMSP). DMSP is an important precursor of DMS. It was demonstrated, with laboratory cultures, that various species of benthic diatoms produce substantial amounts of DMSP. The abundances of aerobic and anaerobic DMS- or DMSO-utilizing bacteria were estimated using the most-probable-number technique. Laboratory experiments with relatively undisturbed sediment cores showed that microbial mats act as a sink for DMS under oxic/light (day) conditions, and as a source of DMS under anoxic/dark (night) conditions. Axenic culture studies with Chromatium vinosum M2 and Thiocapsa pfennigii M8 (isolated from a microbial mat) showed that, under anoxic/light conditions, DMS was quantitatively converted to dimethylsulfoxide (DMSO). T. roseopersicina M11 converted DMSP to DMS and acrylate, apparently without use of either substrate. Received: 5 May 1997; Accepted: 21 August 1997     

Estimating denitrification rates in estuarine sediments: A comparison of stoichiometric and acetylene based methods

We compared denitrification rates obtained using an adaptation of the acetylene block technique to rates estimated from benthic flux nutrient stoichiometry in the subtidal sediments of Tomales Bay, California (USA). By amending whole cores with acetylene and saturating nitrate concentrations, we obtained potential denitrification rates, which ranged between 4 and 30 mmol N m^–2 d^–1. We determined the apparent Michaelis constant (K_app) and the maximum potential rate (V_mp) of the denitrifying community and used these constants in a rectangular hyperbola to estimatein situ denitrification rates. Both the K_app and V_mp of the denitrifying community exhibited significant variation over both depth in the sediment column and time of sampling.Estimates ofin situ denitrification obtained using our kinetic-fix adaptation of the acetylene block ranged between 1.8 (March) and 9 (Sept.) mmol N m^–1 d^–1. Denitrification rates obtained using benthic flux stoichiometry ranged between 0.7 and 4.1 mmol N m^–2 d^–1. Average denitrification rates obtained using the kinetic-fix acetylene block approach exceeded those obtained from net benthic flux stoichiometry; however, these differences were not significant. We conclude that our kinetic-fix adaptation of the acetylene block technique provides realistic estimates of denitrification in sediments, even when pore water nitrate concentrations are low and nitrification and denitrification are closely coupled.     

Evaluation of downward movements of Japanese eel Anguilla japonica inhabiting brackish water areas

This study evaluated the size and age distributions and otolith microchemistry of the Japanese eel Anguilla japonica in freshwater and brackish water areas in the Aki and Tsuchikawa rivers for 1 year, and in brackish water areas in the Asahi River for 3 years to understand the movements of Japanese eels between continental habitats of different salinity after recruitment (n = 759). For all three rivers, the total length (L_T) and age distributions were consistent; yellow eels captured in the upper brackish water (Aki River: 353.5 ± 77.4 mm and 3.0 ± 0.8 years; Tsuchikawa River: 287.7 ± 87.3 mm and 3.7 ± 1.3 years; Asahi River: 418.2 ± 112.1 mm and 4.2 ± 1.7 years) were smaller and younger than not only those in the fresh water of the two rivers but also those in the lowest brackish water sampling areas (Aki River: 436.0 ± 71.6 mm and 3.8 ± 1.1 years; Tsuchikawa River: 370.9 ± 121.7 mm and 4.9 ± 2.3 years; Asahi River: 558.5 ± 85.9 mm and 5.7 ± 1.7 years). In the Asahi River, these tendencies were found throughout the 3 years. Otolith analysis indicated that the majority of the eels captured in the lowest brackish water areas had moved down from upstream. These results suggest that Japanese eels inhabiting saline water generally move from the upper estuary as they grow. The upper estuary can be an important area for the management of this species because these eels spend their early continental growth life there.     

A novel inhibitory interaction between dimethylsulfoniopropionate (DMSP) and the denitrification pathway

Dimethylsulfoniopropionate (DMSP) is an abundant organic sulfur compound in marine algae and denitrification influences nitrogen availability to primary producers, the key regulators of coastal eutrophication. In this study, we tested the effect of DMSP on the nitrous oxide (N₂O) reduction step of denitrification in sediments and biofilms from the Douro and Ave estuaries (NW Portugal) and in pure cultures of a denitrifying bacterium, Ruegeria pomeroyi. N₂O accumulation rates were monitored in sediment slurries and bacterial cell suspensions amended with DMSP concentrations ranging from 0 to 5 mM. In these treatments N₂O accumulation rates increased linearly with DMSP concentration (R ² from 0.89 to 0.99, p < 0.001), suggesting an inhibitory effect of DMSP on the nitrous oxide reductase activity. The addition of DMSP to sediments and bacterial culture resulted in accumulation of dimethylsulfide (DMS) as well as N₂O. However, no direct inhibition on N₂O reductase activity by DMS was observed. Natural concentrations of DMSP in the different estuarine sites were found to be linearly correlated to natural N₂O effluxes (R ² = 0.64, p < 0.001), suggesting that DMSP may negatively affect N₂O reductase in situ. This newly identified interaction between DMSP and N₂O emissions may have a significant ecological role as the inhibition of the nitrous oxide reduction enhances nitrogen loss via N₂O. Since N₂O is a powerful greenhouse gas, the results from our study may be important for evaluating climate change scenarios.     

Dimethylsulphoniopropionate (DMSP) accumulation in green macioalgae from polar to temperate regions: interactive effects of light versus salinity and light versus temperature

Summary The effect of photon fluence rate on the ß-dimethylsulphoniopropionate (DMSP) content of salt-stressed eulittoral green macroalgae from different geographic regions was determined. At 55 mol photons m^–2s^–1 DMSP increased continuously with increasing salinities up to 68 in Ulothrix implexa, Ulothrix subflaccida, Enteromorpha bulbosa and Acrosiphonia arcta from Antarctica, while the Subantarctic/cold-temperate Ulva rigida and the temperate Blidingia minima showed a large rise in intracellular DMSP concentration only under gentle hypersaline treatment (51). At the highest salinity tested the DMSP content of the latter species declined. In contrast, the capacity to form DMSP in the dark under hypersaline conditions was very low in all species. In addition, the DMSP content of the Antarctic species was determined after one year cultivation at 0°C under photon fluence rates of 2, 30 and 55 mol m^–2s^–1. All isolates increased their DMSP concentration with increasing irradiance. In contrast to previous experiments done at 10°C, these species exhibited up to 5 fold higher DMSP values at 0°C under most photon fluence rates. The data support the idea of a light-dependent DMSP biosynthesis, and also demonstrate the stimulating effect of low water temperatures on the DMSP content of Antarctic green macroalgae. Apparently, in these plants DMSP may function as a cryoprotectant.Contribution No. 547 of the Institute for Polar and Marine Research, Bremerhaven     

The influence of salinity on a tropical estuarine shipworm Nausitora hedleyi Schepman (Bivalvia - Teredinidae)

Species belonging to the genus Nausitora (Bivalvia - Teredinidae) are generally confined to brackish waters. In the Cochin backwaters, a tidal estuary on the southwest coast of India, this genus is represented by the species N. hedleyi Schepman. Fresh settlement of the species in the area is noticed only during the period of low salinity, though the species of found to exist, throughout the year. Tests conducted to ascertain the effect of salinity changes on the activity of the borer showed that though it can endure a wide range, the optimum salinity range for early development was from 11.24–14.54%.     

High-throughput sequencing of the mitochondrial genomes from archived fish scales: an example of the endangered putative species flock of Sevan trout <Emphasis Type="Italic">Salmo ischchan</Emphasis>

Burrowing benthic animals belonging to the same functional group may produce species-specific effects on microbially mediated nitrogen (N) processes depending upon different ecological traits. We investigated the effects of two tube-dwelling organisms, amphipods (Corophium insidiosum) and chironomid larvae (Chironomus plumosus), on benthic N cycling in bioturbated estuarine sediments. Aims of this work were to analyze the interactions among burrowers and N-related microbial processes in two distinct sedimentary environments colonized by benthic animals with different ecological traits. We hypothesized higher rates of nitrification and higher coupled nitrification–denitrification in sediments with C. insidiosum due to continuous ventilation rates. We expected higher denitrification of water column nitrate in sediments with C. plumosus due to lower and intermittent ventilation activity and lower oxygen levels in burrows. To this purpose, we combined process–specific (nitrification and denitrification) with net N flux measurements in intact and reconstructed sediments. Sediments with C. insidiosum had higher rates of oxygen demand and of potential nitrification and higher concentration of pore water NH₄⁺ as compared to sediments with C. plumosus. Sediments with both species displayed comparable net N₂ fluxes, mostly sustained by respiration of water column NO₃^? in sediments with chironomid larvae and by NO₃^? produced within sediments in sediments with corophiid amphipods. Corophium insidiosum stimulated nitrification nearly 15-fold more as compared to C. plumosus. Overall, our results demonstrate that sediments with burrowing fauna may display similar rates of denitrification, but underlying mechanisms may deeply vary and be species-specific.     

Phytoplankton growth rates in the freshwater tidal reaches of the Schelde estuary (Belgium) estimated using a simple light-limited primary production model

During the course of 1996, phytoplankton was monitored in the turbid, freshwater tidal reaches of the Schelde estuary. Using a simple light-limited primary production model, phytoplankton growth rates were estimated to evaluate whether phytoplankton could attain net positive growth rates and whether growth rates were high enough for a bloom to develop. Two phytoplankton blooms were observed in the freshwater tidal reaches. The first bloom occurred in March and was mainly situated in the most upstream reaches of the freshwater tidal zone, suggesting that it was imported from the tributary river Schelde. The second bloom occurred in July and August. This summer bloom was situated more downstream in the freshwater tidal reaches and appeared to have developed within the estuary. A comparison between phytoplankton growth rates estimated using a simple primary production model and flushing rate of the water indicated that no net increase in phytoplankton biomass was possible in March while phytoplankton could theoretically increase its biomass by 20% per day during summer. Chlorophyllaconcentrations at all times decreased strongly at salinities between 5–10 psu. This decline was ascribed to a combination of salinity stress and light limitation. Phytoplankton biomass and estimated annual net production were much higher in the freshwater tidal zone compared to the brackish reaches of the estuary (salinity > 10 psu) despite mixing depth to euphotic depth ratios being similar. Possible reasons for this high production include high nutrient concentrations, low zooplankton grazing pressure and import of phytoplankton blooms from the tributary rivers.     

Distribution and speciation of phosphorus along a salinity gradient in intertidal marsh sediments

We examined forms of solid phosphorus fractions in intertidal marsh sediments along a salinity (0–22%.) gradient in a river-dominated estuary and in a marine-dominated salt marsh with insignificant freshwater input. Freshwater marsh sediments had the highest ratio of organic N:P of between 28:1 and 47:1 mol:mol, compared to 211 to 311 molmol in the saltmarshes, which is consistent with a trend toward P-limitation of primary production in freshwater and N-limitation in salt marshes. However, total P concentration, 24.7±11.1mol P g dw^–1 (±1 SD) averaged over the upper meter of sediment, was greatest in the freshwater marsh where bioavailablity of P is apparently limited. In the freshwater marsh the greatest fraction of total P (24–51%.) was associated with humic acids, while the importance of humic-P decreased with increasing salinity to 1–23%. in the salt marshes. Inorganic P contributed considerably less to total sediment P in the freshwater marsh (15–40%.) than in the salt marshes (33–85%.). In reduced sediments at all sites, phosphate bound to aluminum oxides and clays was an important inorganic P pool irrespective of salinity. Inorganic P associated with ferric iron [Fe(III)] phases was most abundant in surface sediments of freshwater and brackish marshes, while Ca-bound P dominated inorganic P pools in the salt marshes. Thus, our results showed that particle-bound P in marsh sediments exhibited changes in chemical association along the salinity gradient of an estuarine system, which is a likely consequence of changes in ionic strength and the availability of iron and calcium.     

Phenanthrene mineralization along a natural salinity gradient in an Urban Estuary,Boston Harbor,Massachusetts

The effect of varying salinity on phenanthrene and glutamate mineralization was examined in sediments along a natural salinity gradient in an urban tidal river. Mineralization was measured by trapping¹⁴CO₂ from sediment slurries dosed with trace levels of [¹⁴C]phenanthrene or [¹⁴C]glutamate. Sediments from three sites representing three salinity regimes (0, 15, and 30%.) were mixed with filtered column water from each site. Ambient phenanthrene concentrations were also determined to calculate phenanthrene mineralization rates. Rates of phenanthrene mineralization related significantly to increasing salinity along the transect as determined by linear regression analysis. Rates ranged from 1 ng/hour/g dry sediment at the freshwater site to > 16 ng/hour/g dry sediment at the 30 salinity site. Glutamate mineralization also increased from the freshwater to the marine site; however, the relationship to salinity was not statistically significant.To examine the effect of salinity on mineralizing activities, individual sediments were mixed with filtered water of the other two sites. Slurries were also made with artificial seawater composed of 0, 15, or 30 g NaCl/ liter to substitute for overlying water. Rates of phenanthrene mineralization in the 0 ambient salinity sediments were not affected by higher salinity waters. Activities in the 15 and 30 ambient salinity sediments, however, were significantly inhibited by incubation with 0 salinity water. The inhibition, in large part, appears to be due to the decreased NaCl concentration of the water phase. Glutamate mineralization was affected in a similar manner, but not as dramatically as phenanthrene mineralization. The results suggest that phenanthrene degraders in low salinity estuarine sediments subject to salt water intrusion are tolerant to a wide range of salinities but phenanthrene degradation in brackish waters is mainly a function of obligate marine microorganisms.     

Dynamics of Nitrous Oxide Reductase Genes (nosZ) in Intertidal Rocky Biofilms and Sediments of the Douro River Estuary (Portugal), and their Relation to N-biogeochemistry

In this study, temporal variability of nosZ genotypes was evaluated in two intertidal rocky biofilms and two intertidal sediment sites of the Douro River estuary, Portugal. The results were compared to rates of key N-cycle processes and environmental variables to examine possible links between denitrifier community dynamics and N biogeochemistry. Genetic heterogeneity of the nosZ gene was evaluated by terminal restriction fragment length polymorphism analysis (T-RFLP) and by sequencing cloned nosZ gene fragments. Phylogenetic analysis showed that the majority of the nosZ genes detected were most similar to nosZ genes from isolates affiliated with alpha-subclass of the class Proteobacteria. Results revealed low nosZ genotype richness, and hierarchical cluster analysis showed significant differences in the composition of denitrifier communities that inhabit different intertidal environments of the Douro River estuary. Monthly surveys of nosZ genotypes from sandy sediments showed that, while the same T-RFLP peaks were present in all samples, shifts in the relative peak areas of the different nosZ genotypes occurred. Canonical correspondence analysis, based on data from the monthly survey, revealed a strong relationship between the relative peak areas of some T-RFLP operational taxonomic units (OTUs) with denitrification rate and availability. Results suggest that denitrifiers with specific nosZ genotypes (OTUs) have competitive advantage over others when fluctuates in the system; these fluctuations reflect, in turn, variability in denitrification rates.     

Short and long-term movement and site fidelity of juvenile Haemulidae in back-reef habitats of a Caribbean embayment

In the context of a main project that aims to recover modern data on diatom distribution applicable to paleosalinity reconstructions in coastal areas of Southern South America, the composition and distribution of dead diatom assemblages in the littoral zone of the Quequén Salado estuary (Argentina) were studied. Diatom zones were defined along the estuarine gradient by cluster analysis and related to the salinity range and sediment composition by Canonical Correspondence Analysis. Four diatom zones were identified. A mixture of marine, brackish and freshwater diatoms, probably allochthonous, characterized the inlet (zone I). Marine/brackish taxa, represented mainly by Paralia sulcata dominated zone II, characterized by polyhaline conditions and sandy sediments. Zone III was characterized by mesohaline conditions, muddy sediments and the dominance of the estuarine diatom Amphora helenensis. Brackish/freshwater and freshwater diatoms dominated the headwaters (zone IV), where salinity was always below 5‰. The comparison of Quequén Salado diatom assemblages with previous results from the Quequén Grande estuary showed a similar taxonomic composition between both estuaries. However, differences in the salinity ranges of the estuaries (related to differences in the degree of human impact and tidal range) lead to a displacement in their spatial distribution along the longitudinal estuarine axis. This paper contributes to the knowledge of the ecological requirements of South American estuarine diatoms and provides useful data for paleosalinity reconstructions in the region. Electronic Supplementary Material Supplementary material is available in the online version of this article at and is accessible for authorized users Handling editor: J. Padisak     

Heliozoa (Centrohelea,Haptista, Hacrobia) of saline and brackish water bodies and watercourses of Russia

The species composition of centrohelid heliozoa (Centrohelida) in saline and brackish inland water bodies and watercourses with salinity 2.0–42.2‰ was studied in the subarid zone of Russia. Nine species (Polyplacocystis ambigua, Pterocystis foliacea, Choanocystis ebelii, Acanthocystis astrakhanensis, A. dentata, A. myriospina, A. pectinata, A. taurica, A. turfacea) are new for saline and brackish inland waters. A. astrakhanensis and A. taurica are new for the fauna of Orenburg region. The first data on centrohelidian fauna in saline rivers of Elton region were obtained. The fauna comprises Polyplacocystis ambigua, Pterocystis foliacea, A. turfacea and Choanocystis ebelii. C. ebelii is new for the protist fauna of Russia. Five species (Polyplacocystis ambigua, Pterocystis foliacea, A. pectinata, A. dentata, A. taurica) were recorded for the first time in saline and brackish waters and described as eurihaline. Morphological diagnoses of Acanthocystis dentata and A. taurica were completed.     

Effect of PAR irradiance intensity on Phaeocystis antarctica (Prymnesiophyceae) growth and DMSP,DMSO, and acrylate concentrations

Phaeocystis antarctica forms extensive spring blooms in the Southern Ocean that coincide with high concentrations of dimethylsulfoniopropionate (DMSP), dimethylsulfoxide (DMSO), dimethylsulfide (DMS), and acrylate. We determined how concentrations of these compounds changed during the growth of axenic P. antarctica cultures exposed to light-limiting, sub-saturating, and saturating PAR irradiances. Cellular DMSP concentrations per liter cell volume (CV) ranged between 199 and 403 mmol · L_CV⁻¹, with the highest concentrations observed under light-limiting PAR. Cellular acrylate concentrations did not change appreciably with a change in irradiance level or growth, ranging between 18 and 45 mmol · L_CV⁻¹, constituting an estimated 0.2%–2.8% of cellular carbon. Both dissolved acrylate and DMSO increased substantially with irradiance during exponential growth on a per-cell basis, ranging from 0.91 to 3.15 and 0.24 to 1.39 fmol · cell⁻¹, respectively, indicating substantial export of these compounds into the dissolved phase. Average cellular DMSO:DMSP ratios increased 7.6-fold between exponential and stationary phases of batch growth, with a 3- to 13-fold increase in cellular DMSO likely formed from abiotic reactions of DMSP and DMS with reactive oxygen species (ROS). At mM levels, cellular DMSP and acrylate are proposed to serve as de facto antioxidants in P. antarctica not regulated by oxidative stress or changes in ROS. Instead, cellular DMSP concentrations are likely controlled by other physiological processes including an overflow mechanism to remove excess carbon via acrylate, DMS, and DMSO during times of unbalanced growth brought on by physical stress or nutrient limitation. Together, these compounds should aid P. antarctica in adapting to a range of PAR irradiances by maintaining cellular functions and reducing oxidative stress.