Abstract: Brown tide formed by the Pelagophyceae Aureococcus anophagefferens can cause the stagnation of scallops and deterioration of water body.The brown tide was first recorded in estuaries along the east coast of U.S.in 1980s, and then extended to South Africa.In recent years, it has also appeared in the coastal waters of Qinhuangdao, China and seriously impacted the shellfish mariculture industry and the coastal tourism industry.In this study, we first briefly summarized the development and ecological effects of the brown tide and then mainly introduced the environmental factors that affect the growth of A.anophagefferens, such as nutrients, temperature, salinity and light.In addition, the development and advances in the research on brown tide in China were also reviewed in order to better understand their formation mechanisms, harmful patterns and ecological environmental effects, which will provide a scientific basis for the early warning and forecasting method of the brown tide and enhance the establishment of ecological environment safeguards technique for healthy cultivation of scallop.