title: The cumulative effects assessment of a coastal ecological restoration project in China: An integrated perspective.
abstract: Large scale coastal land-claim and sea-enclosing (CLASE) activities have caused habitat destruction, biodiversity losses and water deterioration, thus the local governments in China have recently undertaken seabed dredging and dyke opening (SDADO) as typical ecological restoration projects. However, some projects focus on a single impact on hydrodynamic conditions, water quality or marine organisms. In a case study in Xiamen, China, an integrated effects assessment framework centres on ecohydrology, using modeling of hydrodynamic conditions and statistical analysis of water quality, was developed to assess the effects of ecological restoration projects. The benefits of SDADO projects include improving hydrodynamic conditions and water quality, as a precursor to further marine biological improvements. This study highlights the need to comprehensively consider ecological effects of SDADO projects in the planning stage, and an integrative assessment method combining cumulative effects of hydrodynamic conditions, water quality and biological factors.
authors.affiliation: Coastal and Ocean Management Institute, Xiamen University, Xiamen 361102, China.
authors.forename: Deqiang
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Ma
authors.affiliation: Xiamen Oceans and Fisheries Institute, Xiamen 361000, China.
authors.forename: Liyu
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.affiliation: Coastal and Ocean Management Institute, Xiamen University, Xiamen 361102, China; Fujian Provincial Key Laboratory for Coastal Ecology and Environmental Studies, Xiamen University, Xiamen 361102, China. Electronic address: qhfang@xmu.edu.cn.
authors.forename: Qinhua
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: Fang
authors.affiliation: State Key Laboratory of Marine Environmental Science, Xiamen University, Xiamen 361102, China.
authors.forename: Yuwu
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Jiang
authors.affiliation: Institute of Estuarine & Coastal Studies, University of Hull, Hull HU6 7RX, UK.
authors.forename: Michael
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Elliott
mesh_terms: D044822:Biodiversity; D002681:China; D017753:Ecosystem; D052918:Environmental Restoration and Remediation; D057446:Hydrodynamics; D060753:Water Quality
keywords: Dyke opening; Ecoengineering; Ecological restoration; Hydrodynamic conditions; Seabed dredging; Water quality