Study on the cumulative impact of reclamation activities on ecosystem health in coastal waters. Issue 1 (15th February 2016)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Shen, Chengcheng; Shi, Honghua; Zheng, Wei; Li, Fen; Peng, Shitao; Ding, Dewen
• Is Part Of: Marine pollution bulletin. Volume 103:Issue 1/2(2016:Feb.)
• Page Start: 144
• Page End: 150
• Publication Date: 2016-02-15
• Subjects: Reclamation -- Ecosystem health -- Coastal ecosystem -- Marine management -- Assessment model -- Bohai Sea; Marine pollution -- Periodicals; Marine Biology -- Periodicals; Water Pollution -- Periodicals; Mer -- Pollution -- Périodiques; Publications périodiques; Pollution des mers; Lutte antipollution; Electronic journals; 363.7394
• DOI: 10.1016/j.marpolbul.2015.12.028
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0025-326X

Abstract

Abstract: The purpose of this study is to develop feasible tools to investigate the cumulative impact of reclamations on coastal ecosystem health, so that the strategies of ecosystem-based management can be applied in the coastal zone. An indicator system and model were proposed to assess the cumulative impact synthetically. Two coastal water bodies, namely Laizhou Bay (LZB) and Tianjin coastal waters (TCW), in the Bohai Sea of China were studied and compared, each in a different phase of reclamations. Case studies showed that the indicator scores of coastal ecosystem health in LZB and TCW were 0.75 and 0.68 out of 1.0, respectively. It can be concluded that coastal reclamations have a historically cumulative effect on benthic environment, whose degree is larger than that on aquatic environment. The ecosystem-based management of coastal reclamations should emphasize the spatially and industrially intensive layout. Highlights: Cumulative impact of coastal reclamations on ecosystem health was assessed. Suggestions for ecosystem-based management of reclamations were put forward. Coastal reclamations have a historically cumulative effect on benthic environment. Spatially and industrially intensive layout of reclamations should be stressed.