The concentrations of heavy metals, Cd, Hg, Pb, Cu and As in marine sediments from 138 sites located in the Beidaihe near-shore area of Bohai bay, were analyzed to find out the distribution characteristics of these heavy metals. Potential Ecological Risk index were adopted to assess the heavy metals contamination, and the assessment results indicated that the content of heavy metals in this area is in a low to moderate level, while high values were found in the southwest and northeast region, and the value in the middle region is comparatively low. The high pollution hazard sites were close to the Renzaohe estuary and Shihe estuary and the high risk is mainly led by Hg.