Ecological security evaluation of marine ranching with AHP-entropy-based TOPSIS: A case study of Yantai, China

In response to deterioration of the marine environment and depletion of marine resources, governments around the world have developed marine ranching to conserve fishery resources and restore degraded marine environments. Marine ranching ecological security (MRES) reflects whether the ecosystem has the ability to recover from a certain extent of threats and maintaining a healthy state. In this study, an MRES index system was developed based on the pressure-state-response (PSR) model, and the AHP-entropy-based TOPSIS method was established to evaluate the MRES. Seven national marine ranching enterprises and four provincial marine ranching enterprises in Yantai were studied using the developed method. The research findings demonstrated that the overall level of MRES in Yantai is relatively low. The MRES performances of the marine ranching enterprises varied substantially. Among 11 investigated marine ranching enterprises, 18% were in the security status, 18% were in the relative insecurity status, and 64% were in the extreme insecurity status. The pressure subsystem had the lowest security index, and it therefore requires more attention. The national marine ranching enterprises generally performed better than the provincial marine ranching enterprises. The assessment of MRES can provide a scientific basis for marine ranching management and ensure that it plays a more effective role in ecological restoration.