Influence of iron and temperature on growth, nutrient utilization ratios and phytoplankton species composition in the western subarctic Pacific Ocean during the SEEDS experiment

The Chlorophyll-a specific increase rate for micro-plankton (>10 μm) doubled from 5 to 8 °C and was the highest between 8 and 13 °C at the same iron concentration. The surface mixed layer temperature was 8 °C at the beginning of iron fertilization, but it had been 5 °C just 2 weeks before the experiment. This dramatic increase in growth rate with temperature is hypothesized to be the reason for SEEDS 2001 biomass changes being the highest reported response to a mesoscale Fe-enrichment experiment in HNLC waters.