Pingtan　Island　was　officially　established　as　the　＇Pingtan　Comprehensive　Experimental　Zone　of　Fujian＇　in　2010,　and　it　led　to　a　surge　of　construction　in　the　island　city.　Based　on　the　Landsat-5　images　for　2007　and　the　latest　Landsat-8　images　for　2013,　this　paper　studied　the　ecological　status,　the　temporal　trends　of　the　ecological　changes　and　the　reasons　for　those　changes　in　Pingtan　Comprehensive　Experimental　Zone　at　its　early　stage　of　construction,　by　using　the　remote　sensing　of　ecological　index　(RSEI).　The　results　showed　that　as　an　ecologically　fragile　area,　Pingtan　Island　had　a　moderate　level　of　overall　ecological　status.　In　the　early　construction　period　(from　2007　to　2013),　the　ecological　status　of　the　island　showed　a　downward　trend,　with　a　14%　drop　of　RSEI　from　0.511　in　2007　down　to　0.450　in　2013,　and　approximately　36.5%　of　the　area　of　the　island　faced　the　degradation　of　ecological　status,　which　mainly　occurred　in　the　central　and　southwestern　parts　of　the　island.　The　reason　for　the　degradation　was　mainly　due　to　the　large-scale　construction　which　further　damaged　the　scarce　vegetation　on　the　island.　Therefore,　in　order　to　curb　the　downward　trend　of　the　ecological　quality　of　Pingtan　Comprehensive　Experimental　Zone,　some　effective　ecological　protection　measures　must　be　developed　and　implemented　during　the　construction.　©,　2015,　Editorial　Board　of　Chinese　Journal　of　Applied　Ecology.　All　right　reserved.