From limitation to excess: the consequences of substrate excess and stoichiometry for phytoplankton physiology, trophodynamics and biogeochemistry, and the implications for modeling

► Dynamic regulation of primary producers operates at all levels of energy and nutrient acquisition. ► Dynamic regulation results in altered stoichiometry across the substrate spectrum. ► Dynamic regulation of primary producers and stoichiometry have consequences for trophodynamics. ► Anthropogenically altered nutrient loads are accentuating ecosystem stoichiometric changes. ► Improved physiological understanding is required for better multi-nutrient, dynamic balance models.