Which process limits phytoplankton growth despite abundant nutrients within the center of subtropical gyres?

💡 Explanation

When subtropical gyres rotate, they create downwelling, strengthening the thermocline that inhibits nutrient-rich water upwelling because the stable density stratification restricts vertical mixing. Therefore, lack of upwelling limits phytoplankton growth, rather than radiation, grazing, or dust deposition which are limited factors in other environments.

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