The Yellow Sea has experienced the world's largest green tide of Ulva prolifera in each of the last 18 yr. Limited understanding of the mechanisms controlling U. prolifera growth and death complicates mitigation efforts. Focusing on the crucial factors and processes affecting U. prolifera blooms, we constructed a nutrient–microalgae– U. prolifera –detritus (NmiAUD) model based on the results of field microcosm experiments. The...