Phytoplankton bloom on iron rations

Increased availability of iron limits phytoplankton in high nitrate-low chlorophyll regions such as the equatorial Pacific Ocean. Dramatic biological and biogeochemical changes in surface waters of the Pacific Ocean were observed following an in situ iron-fertilization experiment conducted in 1993 and again in 1995. Specifically, it was found that increased availability of the trace nutrient limits cell division rates, abundance and production rate in phytoplankton.