The objective of the present study was to examine the relationships between benthic community structure
and toxic metals using bivariate/multivariate techniques at 17 sediment locations in Laizhou Bay,
North China. Sediment chemical data were evaluated against geochemical background values and sediment
quality guidelines, which identified Cu and As as contaminants of concern with a moderate potential
for adverse effects. Benthic community data were subjected to non-metric multidimensional scaling,
which generated four groups of stations. Spearman rank correlation was then employed to explore the
relationships between the major axes of heavy metals and benthic community structure. However, weak
and insignificant correlations were found between these axes, indicating that contaminants of concern
may not be the primary explanatory factors. Polychaeta were abundant in southern Laizhou Bay, serving
as a warning regarding the health status of the ecosystem. Integrated sediment quality assessment
showed sediments from northern central locations were impaired, displaying less diverse benthos and
higher metal contamination.