We carried out a study on thermohaline structure and phytoplankton com munity in the East China Sea during early summer in 2005. As a result of marine environment and phytoplankton community, three characteristics of water type were identified. The former was characterized by the dominant species with diatoms, Chaetoceros lacinious, Ch. decipiens, Guninardia flaccida, Paralia sulcata, Pseudonitzschia pungens and Pseudosolenia calcar-avis in Chinese coastal waters, the secondary was done by lower water temperature, salinity and the dominant species with dinoflagellates, Prorocentrum donghaiense and Ceratium fusus, in over-all areas and the latter was done by the dominant species with coastal species of diatoms, Skeletonema costafum and Nitzschia longissima and silicoflagellate, Dictyocha speculum var. octopers in the transfer areas of Chinese continental coastal waters. Phytoplankton community in the surface layer identified a total of 66 species belonging to 36 genera. Dominant species was Prorocentrum donghaiense, Chaetoceros lacinious, Skeletonema costatum. Standing crops of phytoplankton in the surface layer flue tuated between $1.5 imes 10^4$cells $L^{-1}$ and $3.5 imes 10^{5}$ cells $L^{-1}$. And the highest value appeared in the Changjiang estuaries with high dominance by diatoms and lowest one occurred in the southwestern area of Jeju Island with high dominance by dinoflagellates. Red tides with dinoflagellate, Prororcentrum donghaiense appeared in the frontal areas with mazimum cell density, $3.4 imes 10^5$ cells $L^{-1}$. And outbreak environments was low water temperature under $20^{circ}C$, and low salinity under 31.55 psu. The vertical distribution of red tide organisms went to about 30m depth from surface.