An analysis of spatio-temporal characteristics of the coastline utilization is the basis of a reasonable planning for the coastal zone. According to the topographic maps and the remote sensing images, the mainland coastline of Fujian province in the 1940s, the 1960s, and in 1990, 2000, 2010 and 2014 are delineated and classified into eight types based on the previous researches and the visual interpretations of the remote sensing images; each type of coastline utilization is assigned with scores of human force degree and the index of the coastline utilization degree (ICUD) is calculated at the provincial and local scales, respectively. Results are as follows: 1) in the last nearly 70 years, the coastline utilization degree of Fujian province increases continuously and significantly, especially in the last 20 years, with an extremely remarkable growth: 2) with the increasing tension between space and population, the hot spots of the coastal development began to shift to Fuzhou and Ningde. The index of the coastline utilization degree can be used quite effectively to detect the patterns and the processes of how the human activities influence the coastline. It will help the understanding of the coastal development and its effect on the eco-environmental system, and ultimately provide a decision support for scientific planning and integrated management of the coastal zone.

index of coastline utilization degree  /  spatio-temporal characteristics  /  Fujian province  /  coastline