The sea surface microlayer is a distinct habitat containing a rich and diverse community of microorganisms,known collectively as the bacterioneuston.These bacteria are more numerous than,and have a different diversity to,bacteria in underlying waters.The implications of the bacterioneuston for global gas cycling are potentially significant because of the role of microbial metabolism in processing climatically active gases such as methane,nitrous oxide,carbon monoxide and dimethlysulphide.However current information on the role of the bacterioneuston in air-sea gas exchange is very scant; hence such studies are a high SOLAS priority,both in the UK and internationally.