Two isolated Antarctic marine diatoms, Chaetoceros neogracile VanLandingham and Stellarima microtrias (Ehrenberg) Hasle and Sims were examined to show changes of growth and uptake rate of nitrate due to UV-B irradiance. Chlorophyll (chl) a concentration was regarded as the growth index of diatom. The diatoms were treated with UV-B radiation and cultured for 4 days under cool-white fluorescent light without UV-B radiation. Two levels of UV-B exposures were applies: 1 and 6 W $m^{-2}$. Durations of UV-B treatment were 20, 40 and 60 minutes under 6 W $m^{-2}$ and 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5 hrs under 1 W $m^{-2}$. The control groups were cultured at the same time without UV-B radiation. The growth rates of two diatoms decreased under 1 and 6 W $m^{-2}$ UV-B irradiances than that of control group. After 4 days, chl a concentrations of C. neogracile were increased more than 4 times from 133 μgo$l^{-1}$ to 632 μgo$l^{-1}$ in control group. However, the concentration of experimental groups under 1 W $m^{-2}$ UV-B were only increased from 139 μgo$l^{-1}$ to 421 μgo$l^{-1}$ during one hour and the chl a concentrations were decreased from 144 μgo$l^{-1}$ to 108 μgo$l^{-1}$ during five hour. Growth of diatom dramatically more decreased under 6 W $m^{-2}$ UV-B than 1 W $m^{-2}$ UV-B. The chl a concentration of experimental groups under 6 W $m^{-2}$ UV-B for one hour was only increased from 111 μgo$l^{-1}$ to 122 μgo$l^{-1}$. In the case of S. microtrias showed also similar pattern to C. neogracile by UV-B radiation. The uptake rates of nitrate by the two strains were decreased abruptly under 6 W $m^{-2}$ UV-B irradiances. When two strains were treated under 1 and 6 W $m^{-2}$ UV-B during one hour, the strains were only continued growth and uptake of nitrate under 1 W $m^{-2}$ UV-B. This experimental evidence shows that exposure to UV-B radiation especially to high irradiance of UV-B decreases diatom survival and causes lower decrease of nutrient concentrations by microalgae in Antarctic water. Furthermore, evidence suggests that microalgal communities confined to near-surface waters in Antarctica will be harmed by increased UV-B radiation, thereby altering the dynamics of Antarctic marine ecosystems