At present, issues of assessing the impact of economic activity on the environment as an integral part of the country’s economic development are becoming more and more relevant. Environmental problems of the development of a marine economy complex may restrain the development of the economic potential of the state. Moreover, the dynamic development of the state’s economy is possible only when economic entities adhere to the norms of an ecological nature. In this regard, the problem of assessing the impact on the environment, in particular, in the maritime complex in the projection of the economic component of development, as well as in this sense and the rational use of natural resources, is of paramount importance. The environmental tension is most often due to the placement of powerful chemical and petrochemical industries in the area of the maritime complex. In some areas, the level of environmental pollution is quite high due to the location of large facilities in the electric power industry (thermal and nuclear power plants). The economic component of the environmental impact assessment of the maritime complex is that one and the same natural resource is most often used by the economic entities of several countries. Therefore, the assessment of the impact on the environment and the achievement of a balanced distribution of ecological and economic benefits for the rational use of natural resources, especially in the maritime complex, are today of great relevance. The purpose of the article is to analyse the problems of ecological and economic orientation in the maritime complex and, on the basis of generalization of such problems, to provide recommendations on systematization of measures for the comprehensive rational development of economic relations, taking into account the features of the coastal zone and the marine economic complex. Methodology. Analytical market reviews, materials of periodicals, resources of the Internet are the informational and methodological basis of the investigation. To achieve the goal set, the following general scientific and special methods were used: economic and mathematical methods, structural-logical analysis, analogy, synthesis, comparison and integration, factor analysis. Result. The system of measures of an economic and legal nature, which should be taken into account for successful and rational use of the marine economic complex in economic activity, is substantiated. Problematic aspects and directions of their elimination are determined. The proposed model of the ecological and economic system of the maritime complex acquires a special significance in the context of the supranational task of developing measures for optimizing and rational use of natural resources on a global scale. The directions of the reform of the legal framework are considered. Practical value. The system of measures of economic and legal character and their individual types can be applied for optimization and rational use of marine (water) resources, taking into account the peculiarities of economic development and the state of the marine-economic complex in Ukraine and in other states. Value/originality. Most scientific works are devoted to the consideration of theoretical aspects of ecological-economic systems, namely, the refinement of the essence of this instrument as a form of modern financial and economic dynamics. A part of the work is devoted to the consideration of the common features and national peculiarities of ecological and economic systems in individual countries and regions. The authors consider the issues of elaboration of measures for the optimization of economic activity, which combines the abovementioned aspects with the peculiarities of the formation of ecological-economic systems in the marine faring complex. It is also important to take into account the impact of planned legislative reforms on the development of economic activity in the marine faring complex of Ukraine. The account of the peculiarities of the maritime complex in the framework of the national economy allowed developing directions for its further development.