This study analyzes characteristics of phytoplankton communities around Wolseong nuclear power plant by selecting 16 stations from July 2006 to June 2007 and understands the influences on standing crops and chlorophyll a of phytoplankton by passing through the cooling water system. The total species number is 283, among which diatoms is 208 occupying 73.5% of total taxa. The mean of total standing crops is 469,380-3,704,114 cells L-1. It is the highest in April 2007 because blooming of Chaetoceros socialis occurs during this period. The mean standing crops of microplankton and nanoplankton are average 129,666-3,392,640 cells L-1 and 240,943-650,505 cells L-1 respectively, which occupy 54.01% and 46.54% of total standing crops. The mean concentrations of total chlorophyll a is 0.64-5.39 μg L-1. The mean concentrations of chlorophyll a of microplankton, nanoplankton and picoplankton are 1.33 μg L-1, 0.21 μg L-1 and 0.49 μg L-1 respectively. Dominant species around Wolseong neclear power plant during this study are Chaetoceros debilis, Chaetoceros socialis, Leptocylindrus danicus, Pseudo-nitzschia fraudulenta, P. subfraudulenta and Thalassiosira decipiens. Fluctuation rates of standing crops and chlorophyll a concentrations of phytoplankton passing through the cooling water system are 22.80% and 50.48% respectively. Decrease of standing crops and chlorophyll a concentrations of phytoplankton means that community structure of phytoplnakton may change at the discharge areas.