Our oceans are not just huge bodies of water. These huge salt fields actively participate in regulating the climate of our planet. So how do they do this? The answer lies in a small sulfur-based compound called “methanethiol” produced by ocean creatures.

The Ocean’s Secret Weapon: Metathiol

A recent study conducted by the Institute of Marine Sciences in Spain (ICM-CSIC) and the Blas Cabrera Institute of Physical Chemistry (IQF-CSIC) has revealed new insights into the role of marine life in climate regulation. The marine creatures we live with on our planet unknowingly help fight global warming with their own gas, methanethiol.

Despite its significant impact on climate, methanethiol has long been overlooked. This was because it was incredibly difficult to measure and had only recently been discovered. Most previous research had focused on warmer oceans, but it turns out the polar oceans are the real source of emissions. This discovery truly challenges conventional thinking.

A small element of the ocean with a large climate impact

The research team includes Dr. formerly from ICM-CSIC and now from the University of East Anglia (UEA). Sharel Wohl was featured.

“It is the climate element with the greatest cooling capacity but also the least researched. We knew methanethiol came out of the ocean, but we had no idea how much or where it came from. We also didn’t know it had such an impact on climate,” Dr. Wall said.

What is metathiol?

Methanethiol, known chemically as CH₃SH, is a surprising chemical compound that can be recognized by its strong, unpleasant odor, often compared to rotten cabbage or garlic.

Metathiol occurs naturally in a variety of places, including some plants and animals, and is also a byproduct of some industrial processes. Despite its unpleasant odor, methanethiol plays an important role in nature and industry, contributing to the characteristic odors of some foods and even the scent of some flowers that attract pollinators. Methanethiol is highly valued in the industrial world. It is often added to natural gas as an odorant, allowing people to quickly and safely detect gas leaks by smelling the gas.

Methanethiol is also used in the production of other chemicals such as pesticides and pharmaceuticals. Finally, scientists are also studying methanethiol to better understand biological processes because it is produced in the human body when proteins are broken down and can affect body odor.

Methanethiol in climate regulation

Metathiol contributes to the formation of aerosols, which are small particles suspended in the atmosphere. These aerosols reflect solar radiation back into space, reducing the amount of heat that reaches and remains on the Earth’s surface. This process contributes to the cooling of the planet.

Additionally, methanethiol-derived aerosols play a crucial role in cloud formation. Clouds increase the cooling effect by reflecting more sunlight and lowering the Earth’s temperature. Together, these mechanisms make methanethiol an important natural mitigating factor for global warming.

Effect of the ocean on climate cooling

It was previously thought that oceans only emit sulfur in the form of dimethyl sulfide, a byproduct of plankton. This compound is primarily responsible for the characteristic odor of shellfish. However, with the development of measurement techniques, it was discovered that plankton also release methanethiol. This information helps to more accurately represent clouds over the Southern Ocean in climate models and calculate their cooling effects more realistically.

Methanethiol and sulfur emissions to the ocean

Marine sulfur emissions due to methanethiol are increasing by an average of 25% annually worldwide.

IQF-CSIC researcher Dr. “It may not seem like much, but methanethiol is more effective at oxidizing and creating aerosols than dimethyl sulfide, and therefore its impact on climate increases,” said Julián Villamayor.

The identification of methanethiol as a major component of ocean sulfur emissions is an important step towards closing the information gap between climate models and observations. The effects are particularly noticeable in the Southern Hemisphere, where vast oceans and limited human activity have caused sulfur emissions from burning fossil fuels to be less common.

A new frontier in climate research

The discovery of methanethiol as a key player in climate regulation marks a new milestone for ocean science. Researchers are now trying to study its interactions with other atmospheric elements and its role in broader biogeochemical cycles.

This pathway could reveal more information about Earth’s natural mechanisms for balancing the climate. With this information, climate models can be improved, which will make it possible to more accurately predict the consequences of global warming and sulfur emissions. More importantly, the methanethiol study sheds light on how ecosystems are interconnected, from microscopic plankton to global atmospheric systems.

Implications for policy and conservation

Understanding the critical role of methanethiol has important implications for environmental policy and marine conservation efforts. Protecting the Arctic and Southern Ocean ecosystems becomes even more vital because these regions produce some of the highest levels of this cooling compound.

Policymakers may see the findings as a call to redouble efforts to protect marine biodiversity and combat threats such as ocean acidification and overfishing. In addition, this research underscores the need for international cooperation to create climate policies that recognize oceans as vital climate regulators and ensure that their role in reducing global warming is sustained for future generations. The study was published in the journal Science Developments.