* A macroinvertebrate-based multimetric index (MMI) was created for both the pelagic and littoral zones of Lake Hongze to assess ecological health, revealing a "poor" status for the pelagic zone and a "fair" status for the littoral zone.
* Key environmental factors affecting the ecological health included sediment organic matter for the pelagic zone, and chlorophyll a and transparency for the littoral zone, with functional feeding groups showing high sensitivity to disturbances in both areas.