The failure of Banse (1990) to use a reasonable initial particulate organic nitrogen (PON) value resulted in erroneously high, and physiologically impossible, estimates of phytoplankton growth rates. To correct this situation, we used an initial PON value of 1 μmol PON L-1 for both experimentals and controls; rates similar to those expected under prevailing light and temperature conditions were obtained. This reinterpretation of our data again demonstrates the dramatic effects that are observed when small quantities of iron are made available to the phytoplankton inhabiting offshore subartic Pacific waters. ¿American Geophysical Union 1991