Sources and Influence Approaches Analysis of Cumulative Ecological Impacts in an Offshore Area of Dalian, China

Cumulative impacts of productive enterprises are an increasingly serious problem in coastal areas. By analyzing the industrial structure during the last few decades in Dalian, China, we conclude there are five main sources of cumulative impacts: industrial enterprises, domestic sewage, agriculture, coastal engineering and marine aquaculture. According to the cumulative ecological effect causation diagram of the main sources, six key ecological indicators are selected to examine the cumulative impacts of these activities: marine water quality, sediment quality, organism quality, chlorophyll-a, biological communities and wetlands. Correlation analysis was carried out to explore the primary impact sources corresponding to each indicator in an offshore area of Dalian.