Compiling information concerning changes in ecological space quality (ESQ) is imperative for urban management and restoration, as proper management promotes sustainable development. Most previous studies have lacked a comprehensive model for evaluating ESQ and are thus unable to provide effective support for decision-makers. Based on the purpose of policy and needs of the public, this paper constructs a comprehensive adaptive evaluation model for mapping ESQ using the Pearl River Delta (PRD) urban agglomeration as an example, and the analysis uncovers the driving forces of urbanization indicators of ESQ change. From 2000 to 2017, the overall ESQ was considered as good, but the overall value decreased slightly, from 52.8 to 51.5. ESQ in the central PRD exhibited a notable downward trend, while coastal cities exhibited an upward trend. There was an approximate negative correlation between ESQ and the urbanization indexes, except for education level and the proportion of primary industry. In the PRD, rural population density, the proportion of primary industry, and education level were the important drivers of magnitude and direction in most cities, but their impacts differed across cities. The ecological management lacked control of in areas good and moderate ESQ, and this was the main factor resulting in the decline of regional ESQ. By quantifying ESQ and the spatially explicit urbanization drivers, the potential for ecological management in the urban agglomeration is also discussed.

Artificial reefs are widely deployed for fishery enhancement and marine conservation. A comprehensive assessment on the effects of artificial reefs could minimize the negative consequence of blindly developing artificial reefs. We examined the meiofaunal community and benthic environment adjacent to and <5 m from artificial reefs in Xiangyun Bay, Bohai Sea, China. We found the highest total meiofaunal abundance beside the artificial reef. Shannon-Wiener and Pielou indexes had no significant difference among different distances from the artificial reefs. The presence of artificial reefs impeded the surrounding flow and provided additional substrate for bivalves and kelps, which could cause finer sediment and organic enrichment around it. Sediment grain size and total organic matter were the most important parameters influencing the meiofauna. We suggest that the shape, material, configuration and location of artificial reefs should be related with a specific goal to avoid mindless proliferation.

Facing a generalized increase in water degradation, several programmes have been implemented for protecting and enhancing the water quality and associated wildlife, which rely on ecological indicators to assess the degree of deviation from a pristine state. Here, single (species number, Shannon-Wiener H\', Pielou J\') and multi-metric (Estuarine Fish Assessment Index, EFAI) community-based ecological quality measures were evaluated in a temperate estuary over an 8-year period (2005-2012), and established their relationships with an anthropogenic pressure index (API). Single metric indices were highly variable and neither concordant amongst themselves nor with the EFAI. The EFAI was the only index significantly correlated with the API, indicating that higher ecological quality was associated with lower anthropogenic pressure. Pressure scenarios were related with specific fish community composition, as a result of distinct food web complexity and nursery functioning of the estuary. Results were discussed in the scope of the implementation of water protection programmes.