Ocean odours

The ocean's distinctive smell is caused by a single chemical released by plankton and other marine life, dimethyl sulphide (DMS). A study by a group of investigators from the University of Groningen used a technique called laser-sheet particle image velocimetry to monitor the water flows produced by aquatic animals. The investigators looked closely at how DMS affects copepods. Their tests showed that when DMS hit a copepod, the test animal reacted with a search behaviour. This demonstrates that copepods can smell the DMS and suggests that this and possibly other compounds released by phytoplankton and microzooplankton may help copepods in finding their prey.