The coupling between oceanic and atmospheric sulfur cycles is fundamental for the understanding of the role of sulfate particles as potential climate regulators. We discuss existing relationships among methanesulfonate (MS− – one of the end products of oxidation of biogenic dimethylsulfide – DMS) in the atmospheric particulate, phytoplankton biomass, and remotely-sensed activity in the central Mediterranean. The MS− concentration in the aerosol particles is based on PM10 sampling (from 2005 to 2008) of atmospheric aerosols at the island of Lampedusa (35.5°N, 12.6°E) in the central Mediterranean Sea.