Nutrient affinity,half‐saturation constants and the cost of toxin production in dinoflagellates

The two parameters of the Michaelis–Menten model, the maximum uptake rate and the half‐saturation constant, are not stochastically independent, and the half‐saturation constant is not a measure of nutrient affinity, as commonly assumed. Failure to realise their interdependence and mechanistic interpretation may lead to the emergence of false trade‐offs.