Eutrophication, which is the enrichment of a water mass with inorganic and organic nutrients that support plant growth, is a key factor in stimulating phytoplankton growth. In this study, we determined the effects of various nitrogen sources, different nitrogen concentrations in the culture medium, and two culture methods on the growth of the green alga, Enteromorpha prolifera. The relationship between the specific growth rate of E. prolifera and NO3--N concentration was consistent with that estimated using the Monod equation (R2 = 0.9713, P < 0.01). In the NO3--N medium, the maximum specific growth rate was calculated to be 0.1634/d and the semi-saturation constant was calculated to be 16.86 μmol/L. Our results show that E. prolifera can effectively utilize NH4+-N, NO3--N, and NO2--N and urea-N in the range of 5 to 50 μmol/L. NH4+-N was preferentially assimilated by E. prolifera, and urea-N was favorable for long-term growth.
