The production of volatile iodocarbons by biogenic marine aggregates

• Published in: Limnology and Oceanography
• Main Authors: Hughes, C, Malin, G, Turley, CM, Keely, BJ, Nightingale, PD, Liss, PS
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: unknown
• Published: 2008
• Subjects: Arctic; Kongsfjord; Kongsfjord*
• Online Access: https://ueaeprints.uea.ac.uk/id/eprint/24860/; https://doi.org/10.4319/lo.2008.53.2.0867

We present the first reported measurements of volatile iodocarbon production by biogenic marine aggregates. Iodomethane (CH3 I), iodoethane (C2H5I), 2-iodopropane (CH 3CHICH3), and 1-iodopropane (CH3CH 2CH2I) concentrations were determined in incubations of aggregates formed by concentrating the >53 µm fraction of the plankton during a field campaign in the Celtic Sea. All four iodocarbons increased significantly in concentration in the aggregate incubations relative to filtered seawater controls. Maximum production rates ranged from 0.01 pmol L -1 h-1 for CH3 CHICH3 to 0.31 pmol L-1 h-1 for C2H5I. Accompanying pheopigment and bacterial heterotrophic production suggest that the processes taking place on the aggregates studied were a good representation of those known to occur on natural marine particles. We also report iodocarbon production rates observed in natural marine aggregates, including a diatom mucilage collected in the Celtic Sea and phytodetritus sampled from Kongsfjord in the Arctic. Detrital particles could be hotspots of iodocarbon production in the marine environment.