Abstract
Water column and sediment samples from the southern part of the North Sea were analyzed for dimethyl sulfide (DMS) and dimethylsulfoniopropionate (DMSP). Both substances showed seasonal and temporal variations, with higher concentrations in the summer and near the bottom. DMS and DMSP concentrations in bottom sediments were three orders of magnitude higher than in the water column. Measurements of reduced sulfur gases from bottom sediments suggest that sediment sulfur emissions account for only a small part of the sulfur that accumulates in sediments through settlement of organically bound sulfur in detritus. Most deposited sulfur must be either reoxidized before it is emitted or buried.