Classification and evaluation of National Marine Parks in the East China Sea coast

Abstract

National ocean parks are important resources of China’s ecological civilization and environmental planning for sustainable development. In order to properly examine the protection and sustainable development of national ocean parks, an index of various elements (area, location, resources, economy, and environment) was created to evaluate the sustainable development conditions of 16 national ocean parks in the East China Sea coast between 2011 and 2017. Using the principle component analysis and cluster methods, this study comprehensively investigated the different characteristics and attributes of these parks. The results showed that a three-level classification system for national ocean parks is proposed based on the evaluation indicator system, which classifies these parks into three categories: ecosystem protection, tourism, and sustainable fisheries. Each category of park is featured by its own particular characteristics. Last, suggestions are given for future ecological protection and appropriate development of national ocean parks.