Nutrient supply regulates the activity of phytoplankton, but the global biogeography of nutrient limitation and co-limitation is poorly understood. Prochlorococcus adapt to local environments by gene gains and losses, and we used genomic changes as an indicator of adaptation to nutrient stress. We collected metagenomes from all major ocean regions as part of the Global Ocean Ship-based Hydrographic Investigations Program (Bio-GO-SHIP) and quantified shifts in genes involved in nitrogen, phosphorus, and iron assimilation. We found regional transitions in stress type and severity as well as widespread co-stress. Prochlorococcus stress genes, bottle experiments, and Earth system model predictions were correlated. We propose that the biogeography of multinutrient stress is stoichiometrically linked by controls on nitrogen fixation. Our omics-based description of phytoplankton resource use provides a nuanced and highly resolved description of nutrient stress in the global ocean.

营养供应调节浮游植物的活动，但对营养限制和共限制的全球生物地理学知之甚少。原球菌通过基因的得失来适应当地环境，我们使用基因组变化作为适应营养胁迫的指标。作为全球基于海洋船的水文调查计划（Bio-GO-SHIP）的一部分，我们收集了来自所有主要海洋地区的元基因组，并对涉及氮，磷和铁同化作用的基因的定量变化进行了量化。我们发现压力类型和严重性以及广泛的共同压力发生了区域性转变。原球菌应力基因，瓶实验和地球系统模型预测相互关联。我们建议通过固定氮的控制以化学计量方式联系多种营养胁迫的生物地理学。我们基于组学的浮游植物资源利用描述提供了对全球海洋养分胁迫的细致入微且高度解析的描述。