data for "Relative resistance of estuarine DMS production to ocean acidification in the Yangtze River Estuary"

Dimethyl sulfide (DMS) is a climate-relevant sulfur gas, but its response to ocean acidification in estuaries remains poorly constrained. We combined seasonal surveys with ship-based microcosm experiments across the Yangtze River Estuary and adjacent inshore waters to resolve spatial contrasts in DMS cycling and test pH sensitivity. In the inshore waters, pH covaried positively with Chl-a, dimethylsulfoniopropionate, DMS, and DMS yield, while experimental pH reductions of 0.2–0.4 units further decreased Chl-a, particulate dimethylsulfoniopropionate, and DMS by 11.8–31.1%, 10.6–24.4%, and 13.8–41.2%, respectively. In contrast, estuarine DMS concentrations, process rates, and microcosm responses showed limited sensitivity to comparable pH declines. These results reveal an estuary–inshore contrast in acidification sensitivity and indicate that DMS production in the Yangtze River Estuary is relatively resistant within the tested pH range, exposing a key limitation in applying acidification–DMS relationships from more stable marine waters to highly variable estuarine systems.