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The bioremediation capability and efficiency of large-scale Porphyra cultivation in the removal of inorganic nitrogen and phosphorus from open sea area were studied. The study took place in 2002–2004, in a 300ha nori farm along the Lusi coast, Qidong County, Jiangsu Province, China, where the valuable rhodophyte seaweed Porphyra yezoensis has been extensively cultivated. Nutrient concentrations were significantly reduced by the seaweed cultivation. During the non-cultivation period of P. yezoensis, the concentrations of NH₄-N, NO₂-N, NO₃-N and PO₄-P were 43–61, 1–3, 33–44 and 1–3μmolL⁻¹, respectively. Within the Porphyra cultivation area, the average nutrient concentrations during the Porphyra cultivation season were 20.5, 1.1, 27.9 and 0.96μmolL⁻¹ for NH₄-N, NO₂-N, NO₃-N and PO₄-P, respectively, significantly lower than in the non-cultivation season (p<0.05). Compared with the control area …