Urban cities generate considerable potential for ecological disturbance leading to environmental degradation (Programme 2: Anthropogenic Disturbances of Coastal Habitats). In particular, there are problems for organisms on hard and soft substrata because of building jetties, seawalls, pilings, etc. Human disturbances include foraging for bait and food and disposal of wastes. The research to understand ecological changes due to these disturbances is time-consuming and long-term, particularly when experimental analyses of processes during disturbances are planned. Predicting, measuring and interpreting impacts are hamstrung by poor sampling and analysis - often dictated by inadequate statutory requirements for Environmental Impact Statements. One major problem is that natural ecological assemblages of species vary enormously from time to time and place to place. Thus, even when undisturbed by people, ecological patterns are very different from place to place and change rapidly from time to time. Commercial fishing, recreational fishing and aquaculture can all cause impacts other than their direct effects on the species being harvested. Trawling, for example, has potentially large-scale consequences for animals and plants on and in the sea-floor. Aquaculture causes artificial installations and potential contamination by wastes and nutrients. Ecologically sustainable fisheries and aquaculture absolutely requires decision-making based on well-developed ecological understanding of those indirect effects. To date, the focus by government departments has been almost exclusively on direct consequences of the harvesting. The Centre for Research on Ecological Impacts of Coastal Cities (EICC) has generated many scientific papers and theses from research projects on the effects of fishing, aquaculture and associated activities. The link to the URL provided in this record provides a link to this research.