Relationships between nutrient stocks and inventories and phytoplankton physiological status along an oligotrophic meridional transect in the Tasman Sea

► Waters of the north Tasman Sea are adjacent to Australian are oligotrophic. ► Primary production Tasman Sea region is nitrogen limited. ► Iron and dust do not stimulate phytoplankton production. ► The nitrite maximum is coupled to incomplete assimilatory nitrate reduction.