Changes in the seasonal cycle of phytoplankton are important indicators of coastal ecosystem responses to climate change and human activities. Based on historical observations from Jiaozhou Bay in 2005, 2010, 2015, and 2020, this study examined long-term variations in the seasonal cycle of phytoplankton biomass and their environmental drivers. The results showed that the seasonal distribution pattern of phytoplankton biomass in Jiaozhou Bay changed markedly during 2005~2020, shifting from a bimodal pattern with winter and summer peaks to a predominantly unimodal pattern with a summer-autumn peak. Winter peak values of net-collected phytoplankton abundance and chlorophyll a concentration decreased substantially, from 103.62×10⁶ cells/m³ and 15.29 μg/L in 2005 to 12.81×10⁶ cells/m³ and 1.13 μg/L in 2020, respectively. Community structure analysis indicated that diatoms consistently dominated the phytoplankton assemblage and that variation in diatom abundance was the primary driver of the observed shift in the seasonal cycle of phytoplankton biomass. In contrast, dinoflagellate abundance declined markedly after peaking in 2010. Correlation analyses suggested that increasing winter water temperature and decreasing phosphate concentration were the main factors underlying the attenuation and eventual disappearance of the winter phytoplankton biomass peak. These findings reveal the long-term evolution of phytoplankton seasonal structure in Jiaozhou Bay under the combined influence of climate change and nutrient adjustment, and offer scientific support for coastal ecosystem management.