Why Did the Initiative in Early Conquest and Exploration Pass

Why did the initiative in early conquest and exploration pass to northern European nations in the later 16th century?

A) Spain and Portugal were defeated in a critical war with the Ottoman Empire.
B) The Dutch and the British improved the design of oceanic vessels, producing faster ships than their Catholic rivals.
C) Famine and disease disastrously reduced the population of the Iberian peninsula after 1588.
D) The Spanish defeat of the English Armada cut England off from further advance in Europe and forced English attention to foreign conquest.