--Eight common red tide species including the Dinoflagellates Ale randrium tamarense,Prorocentrum minimum, Prorocentrum mican, Diatoms Skeletonema costatum , Cerataulina pelagica, Leptocylindrus minimus, a Raphidophyte Heterosigma akashiwo and a Chrysophyte Ivohrysis galbana were chosen to study the effect of four nitrogen substrates ( NO3 - N, NH4 - N, Urea - N,Mixed - N) on the growth of these algae. After two transfers, the results showed that at N concentration of 550μrnol, NO3 N was the best nitrogen source among these four nitrogen substrates; Urea - N and Mixed- N were also good for the growth of most algae, but not as good as NO3 - N for some species; NH4 - N inhibited the growth of all these species except H. akashiwo. At concentrations of 280 and 50 μmnol experiments on the growth of I. galbana, P. minimum and L. minimus in NH4 - N and NO3 - N substrates were also performed. The results showed that the growth rates of I. galbana were not significantly different from each other in NO3 - N and NH4 - N substrates both concentrations of 280 and 50 μmol. In concentration of 280μmol NH4 - N substrate, the growth rates of P.minimum and L. minimus were slower than in same concentration of NO3 - N; At concentration of 50μrmol , the growth rate of P. minimum in NH4 - N was not significantly different from that in NO3 - N, while the growth rate of L. minimus was only about 30% of that in NO3 - N substrate.The results indicated that each alga had its own preference in N-substrate and concentration, therefore,different nitrogen substrates may play a role in red tide formation.