Coastal area is the region with the highest degree of economic and social development and the largest ecological stress in current China, where the proportions and the spatial patterns of developed coastal resource and environment are determined by projects planning. Ecological carrying capacity evaluation is the necessary prerequisite for sustainable utilization of natural resources and protecting ecological environment to ensure healthy and sustainable economic and social development to project planning. Based on the pressure types of projects planning on resources and environment, the concept and contents of coastal ecological carrying capacity were redefined for enhancing the practical value of ecological carrying capacity evaluation. The domestic and foreign research progress and advances related with coastal ecological carrying capacity evaluation were reviewed, which included habitat suitability evaluation, suitability assessment of construction land development, reclamation suitability evaluation and assessment of sea water environmental capacity. The conclusion noted that domestic research of coastal ecological carrying capacity needs to build a complete system of ecological carrying capacity evaluation methodology based on extensive reference to foreign research results, and quantitative evaluation and spatial visualization research related with coastal ecological carrying capacity should be carried out to provide strong support for ecological civilization process of economy and society in coustal areas.