Ecosystem health assessment in coastal China

Marine ecosystem health assessments are instrumental in ocean governance and the development and use of oceans and seas, provide an important scientific basis for the protection of marine ecosystems and environment and ecological management, and help us move forward on a range of issues related to the marine environment and resource protection. In this study, we improved the coastal ecosystem health assessment methodology by studying combined traits of the coastal ecosystems such as structure, services, and functions. We performed a number of assessments jointly conducted in different coastal areas in China, analyzing the current status and variation trends of these coastal ecosystems, comparing their key health elements, and investigating major contributing factors to changes in the state of marine ecosystems. The present study provided a scientific basis for the protection of marine ecosystem management by translating monitoring, observation, and research results into information that can be understood easily by policymakers.