[Objective] The evolution and driving forces of the sea reclamation in the Bohai Rim from 1985 to 2017 were analyzed, in order to provide support for the comprehensive management of the sea reclamation and promote the sustainable development of the region.[Methods] Using the remote sensing data, ENVI and ArcGIS were used to process and extract the sea reclamation coastline and land use types in each period, and the characteristics of reclamation evolution were analyzed by fractal dimension, coastal reclamation index, development intensity index and transfer matrix. The driving mechanism of reclamation activity was discussed by grey correlation degree method.[Results] ①From 1985 to 2017, the total area of reclamation around Bohai Sea increased by 4.25×10⁵ hm², with an average annual development intensity index of 2.6%. The reclamation coastline increased by 1 734 km, with an increase rate of 62%. In terms of time, the average annual development intesity index and coastal reclamation index changed in a similar way, showing a trend of decreasing, increasing and decreasing. In terms of space, the development intensity in the south was much higher than that in the north and the west was much higher than that in the East. ② There are two reclamation peaks in the study period, the first one was mainly for aquaculture, occupying a large number of vegetation land and unused land, and the second one was mainly for construction, taking up lots of natural sea areas. ③ The main driving forces of sea reclamation activities were social and economic development, among which aquatic product production, regional population and fishery industry development were the main driving forces. In addition, national policies and natural factors were of great significance to the sea reclamation activities.[Conclusion] The effective ways to restore the coastal ecological environment are to reasonably plan the aquaculture water area and increase the production capacity of unit area. Balancing the intensity of regional development and regulating the growth of regional population are of great significance to the realization of regional sustainable development.