Abstract: A sediment core was collected in the Jiaozhou bay in 2011. The concentrations of eight heavy metals mercury (Hg), arsenic (As), cadmium (Cd), chromium (Cr), copper (Cu), nickel (Ni), lead (Pb) and zinc (Zn) in the sediment core from 0 m to 1 m were measured. These raw data were then utilized to calculate the enrichment factors (enrichment factors, EFs, represents the enrichment status of elements) of these metals. The results showed that both concentrations and EFs of these heavy metals presented a peak or had the highest value in the subsurface layer (at around 20 cm) of the sediment core. The age of sediment at such depth was estimated to be around 20 years using the reported sediment settlement rate. This indicates that the contamination of heavy metals in Jiaozhou bay sediment may be significantly affected by the high-intensity anthropogenic discharge of heavy metals into the Jiaozhou bay in the late 1980s and 1990s. Pearson correlation and multiple regression analyses were further performed to investigate the primary controlling factors for heavy metals in Jiaozhou bay sediment. The results suggest that the inter-annual variations of the eight common heavy metals may be controlled by different environmental factors in Jiaozhou bay sediment. In addition, the potential ecological risk index was calculated to evaluate the potential risks of these heavy metals in Jiaozhou Bay sediment and their historical variation trends. Mercury generally had a moderate risk in the Jiaozhou bay, and its risk has been increasing in recent years. This finding suggests that Hg should be put in the priority metal to be controlled in the Jiaozhou bay.