Development of an index system for evaluation of ecological carrying capacity of marine ecosystems

Ecological carrying capacity (ECC) is an important indicator in evaluating sustainable development in an ecosystem. However, a standard method to systematically evaluate an ecosystem's carrying capacity, particularly marine ecosystems, is rarely existent. This study proposes a general conceptual model for systematic evaluation of the carrying capacity of marine ecosystems. The proposed model involves (1) identification of carriers, (2) determination of carrying objects and (3) construction of evaluation index framework. An index system was developed based on a case study conducted in Dongtou Islands in China. Moreover, this case study demonstrates the application of the conceptual model in ECC evaluation.