Smelly Seas
Looking toward the summer, most of us are just longing to take a rejuvenating lungful of that good old salty sea smell. But you may be surprised to learn that salt might not be the only player that triggers those olfactory nerves. Scientists from the University of East Anglia have finally found the gene that causes certain ocean-dwelling bacteria to produce the gas dimethyl sulfide (DMS), responsible not only for the ocean smell, but for cloud formation and location of food by seaside animals as well.
After comparing the gene sequences of bacteria in samples of mud from the North Norfolk coast of Britain to the sequences of other bacteria, the scientists isolated the gene responsible for production of the gas. Although they knew that DMS is produced in areas of marine plant decay such as dense algal blooms, the interesting discovery was that the DMS-producing mechanism in the bacteria is turned on only by the presence of these plant decay products (DMSP); otherwise, the gene is silent.
Such a discovery is important in explaining related ecological issues such as climate and animal behavior. DMS particles produced by the active bacteria can diffuse into the air where they act as condensation nuclei, small particles in the atmosphere around which water condenses to form clouds. Clouds can reflect radiation and cool the climate; or they can keep heat close to the surface- the specific result is affected by the cloud’s density and altitude. Dense areas of DMS particles acting as cloud condensation nuclei may reduce solar radiation by engendering denser clouds. And while there are no outstanding drawbacks to the presence of atmospheric DMS particles, it is a crucial source of atmospheric sulfur.
Moreover, research has shown that these gas particles also serve as indicators of food to birds and other sea animals, leading them to areas of high prey concentration. Small ocean animals like krill eat the plant matter of these algal blooms, attracting larger fish to feed on them, and so on until a gluttonous assembly of the food chain has appeared. Birds have the ability to smell the odor of DMS which, it appears, could either lead the birds directly to these areas or cause them to exhibit certain strategic behavior in locating the food.
While these phenomena have been exhibited from the Pacific Northwest to the oceans of Antarctica, scientists are still researching the kinds and locations of marine plants that have DMSP, in order to answer questions of where, and therefore to what degree, DMS is affecting the climate (Nissan).
So next time you visit the seaside, look at the clouds, watch the birds, and smell the dimethyl sulfurous smell of decay!
Posted by J543
posted by PWH @ 5:13 PM
17 comments
17 Comments:
I thought this was a very interesting blog. I always wondered why the ocean always smelled funny and never could figure out why. My guess was that there was a lot of animal poop in the ocean to make it smell so horrible. At least now I know that it's not only that but also the fact that the bacteria gene causes the smell.
Gloria Chan
I really enjoyed reading this blog because I love to spend time by the ocean looking at wildlife. Because of this I am curious as to how exactly these gas particles help animals find food. Are they some sort of visual indicator?
Elizabeth Burch
This post was really fun to read! This is a nice article to find. Smell is always something that interests me, the way a smell can simply take you back to a certain memory; and of course a lot of people have memories of the ocean. To know where that ocean smell comes from is fascinating! In the first paragraph you mentioned that the bacteria is "responsible not only for the ocean smell, but for cloud formation and location of food by seaside animals as well." This was interesting and the link to "cloud formation" helped me understand more what this meant. The only thing I could ask for more in this article would be a link, or more information about how the bacteria helps seaside animals locate food.
Posted by KMellman
This blog was really quite interesting. I never realized that the beautiful ocean breeze could be from "ocean-dwelling bacteria". I was wondering if there were any negative factors of DMS being in the ocean air? You mention that climate and animal behavior are effected by DMS, but in what ways? Why would animals find such a great food source around "areas of marine plant decay"?
It's surprising that manufactures of candles or air fresheners attempt to re-create the smell of the sea, when in fact they're imitating gas from bacteria.
Alanna Dodson-Gerver
Going to the beach has to be one of my absolute favorite things about summer. Whenever I'm close, I roll down the windows to smell that ocean smell. I never really questioned where it came from, I just understood that it was there and it meant I was getting close. It was very interesting to find out that this smell is due to decaying bacteria. I never would have thought it. I think it's kind of funny that most people would say they love that smell or that it makes them excited to go to the beach. I'm really excited I got to learn something new that will make me reevaluate that smell when I arrive.
Michaela Barrette
This blog reminded me of a poster I have of a picture of an ocean wave and how beautiful the ocean is. I always thought that the the salt in the water was the reason. It is weird of how the gene responsilble needs to be turned on by decay because the idea of decay imprints the scent of something disgusting which is ironic because I love the smell of the ocean. I was really interested at how DMS leads to high prey concentration. I really like how J543 ended the blog but i was wondering why sands from North Norfolk.
This post was very intriguing. I had always thought the ocean smelled the way it does, because of the salty water and the sea creatures living in it. I had no clue that their is a outside factor such as bacteria which makes the ocean smell the way it does. Now when you say something about the bacteria and birds, about them helping them get food or something, i wasnt sure if you meant the creatures use this bacteria as food or use it to help find food. Overall very interesting post. Good luck with the rest of the semester!
Posted by Neil Desai
This was a pretty interesting blog to read. I had no idea that the smell of the ocean attracted birds and other animals to it because the aroma signified an area with available food to eat. This ties in to what we're learning in Bio101 right now about animal adaptations and evolution. The animals might follow the gas from decay as an instinct developed over generations to help find food. Overall, interesting post!
Kari Anne Azzariti
Very interesting article. Can the birds (and other sea animals) actually smell DMS? Has any research shown if DMS clouds affect how the global weather patterns work, or are they more localized clouds formations? Are there any industrial/practical applications to this knowledge? I liked the subject matter of this article and the way it was written - concise, easy to understand, and gave alot of information without being overly technical.
Burkej6
This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
wow this is a very interesting post! i thought that it was very well written in that it spoke directly to the reader while informing them of an interesting topic. It was very clear and concise as well. One thing that i did want to know more about was how the gas particles allow the birds as well as other animals to locate areas of high prey concentration.
HEH
Interesting topic .. the smell of the sea does tend to be funny, sometimes in a weird way! but i wonder do you think that wastes being dumped into it have any effect on the smell itself .. i wish you had discussed the gas indicators issue in more details, i thought it was a very interesting, but i do not understand how gas indicators (by smell or visual?) could relate to areas of high prey concentration?
Posted by: SAmer Ead
Course ID: eads7
A well written blog. I grew up in a small town on the Pacific Ocean and have always enjoyed the smell of the ocean especially when I have been gone for a long time. The bacteria releases the gas when in the presence of the decaying plant products; is that mostly along the shoreline? When thinking back to days spent at the beach I can understand the connection of the release of the DMS particles from the bacteria and attracting birds and other animals. The part about cloud formation I found was the most intriguing part of the blog. It was something I have never read before and I am interesting in reading more about it and perhaps a more in depth explanation of the process. Does the bacteria prefer to live in a particular climate or region. There seems to be a wide range of temperatures in the Ocean and it would be interesting if the same bacteria survived in all the different climates.
COMBSJ7 SORRY CANT FIX ID NAME. I enjoyed reading this blog about where the ocean smell comes from. I thought it was just the salt and other factors of the ocean. I never in my wildest dreams thought it could come from bateria that produce the smell. I liked reading the article not because of the subject, but because the way it was written. It was both informative and interesting to learn about the smell of decaying bateria. The blog states the process and how everything takes place clearly and in an intelligent manner.
This blog will definatly make me think twice when I smell the salty aroma of the ocean. Are these bacteria anaerobic or aerobic creatures? I would think they were anaerobic but I could be wrong.
I thought that this blog was very interesting and informative. I had no idea that there could exist such gene that would cause ocean bacteria to produce the gas called dimethyl sulfide, (DMS). But, what surprised me the most was that now I understand why every time that I went to the beach there were birds flying around as if they saw food on the surface of the ocean. Who would have thought that it was the gas(DMS)producing such smells, attracting birds and serving as food indicators as well!
Janet Galvez
While I was reading this blog, I found myself thinking that it's very interesting how humans and other non-human animals instinctively react to certain smells. It's fascinating to me that the smell of the ocean, something that has been regarded as soothing and nostalgic for many humans, can be part of such an intricate system that allows birds and other marine life to find food, whether it be the organisms attracted to the DMS, or the animals preying on the attracted species. I feel that we as humans take many aspects of nature for granted when we don't understand how the world around us actually works. What many view as a petty slice of pleasure is actually a very important player in the survival of some animals.
Hillary Carter
carterh6
Post a Comment
<< Home