Dimethylsulfide (DMS) is an essential component of the global sulfur cycle and a major source of climate-influencing aerosols. We examine the drivers of DMS concentration gradients along the British Columbia shelf by comparing DMS measurements to environmental variables and biological rates. We further combine new and existing data sets to provide a new summertime DMS climatology for the northeast subarctic Pacific. Our results highlight the importance of phytoplankton taxonomy to DMS cycling.