Between the key nutrients nitrogen and phosphorus, nitrogen is primarily seen as the main limiting factor for the growth of algae in the ocean. (sciencedaily.com)
In research, it was found that this type of algae in particular can absorb the materials that it grows within. (well-beingsecrets.com)
To test this theory, researchers compared the abundance of algae in the surface waters of the world's oceans with the amount of carbon actually sinking to deep water. (realclimate.org)