Abstract:Over the past half-century, the coastal ocean ecosystems have changed greatly under the multiple stressors（including over-exploitation and utilization, climate change such as global warming and natural fluctuations，and environmental pollution），in which, the Yellow Sea Large Marine Ecosystem is the most representative one. It is mainly manifested in the changes of biodiversity and productivity of ecosystem; as a result, larger, higher trophic level, and commercially important demersal species were replaced by smaller, lower trophic level, pelagic, less-valuable species. The analysis showed that the coastal ocean ecosystems as well as their changes will be controlled by a mechanism of multiple factors, and it leads to the complexity and uncertainty of the ecosystem changes, and difficult to identify and manage. Integrated Multi-trophic Aquaculture(IMTA) is an effective way to respond to multiple stressors for coastal ocean ecosystems. This paper discusses the scientific basis for development of IMTA and introduces the IMTA practice and its effect in Sanggou Bay located in the Yellow Sea. And also, carbon budget and ecological service function of IMTA was assessed. For future development, the diversification of IMTA model needs special attention，and gets more support from basic research. In addition to the biology and regional ecology of culture species, study on the biogeochemical cycling and hydrodynamic processes in mariculture ecosystem also need to be strengthened. Moreover, the impact of ocean acidification on cultured organisms and the adaptive strategies in ecosystem-based management should be further concerned.
