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Estuaries form the interface between marine and terrestrial ecosystems.They are characterized by their plentiful biological resources and the many important ecosystem services they provide.However,there has been severe degradation of estuary ecosystems in northern China due to anthropogenic disturbances,including water pollution from upstream areas,changes in marine hydrologic dynamics,habitat loss,and exploitation in the estuary region.To provide a scientific basis for the restoration and conservation of estuary ecosystems,we compiled data from the published literature to point out ecological problems in several main estuary regions of northern China,such as the Yellow River estuary,the Liaohe fiver estuary,the Haihe river estuary,the Yalu river estuary.The main ecological problems identified for the estuaries of northern China were a decrease in fresh water inputs from the fiver,increased sediment inputs,destruction of the wetland ecosystem,environmental pollution,erosion,seawater encroachment,biodiversity loss,and depletion of the fish resources.The driving forces for these ecological problems in the estuary region also were assessed.Based on the analysis of these driving forces,we propose several suggestions for the integrated management of estuaries in northern China:the development of a management system for estuary conservation; strengthening of environmental laws and a better means for their execution,an increase in the investment of scientific research on estuary ecosystems,enhanced public awareness and participation in estuary conservation,and the development of an estuary monitoring system.