Abstract: Based on the seasonal survey results of heavy metal elements in the seawater of Tieshangang and its nearshore waters in Guangxi, this study explores the pollution characteristics and potential sources in different marine functional areas. The results showed that the average concentrations of Cu, Pb, Zn, Cd, Cr, Hg and As were 1.00 µg/L, 0.72 µg/L, 10.93 µg/L, 0.10 µg/L, 0.60 µg/L, 0.038 µg/L and 0.72 µg/L, respectively. Generally, the concentration of heavy metals is higher in summer than in winter, and the concentrations decrease seaward during both seasons, which mainly influenced by terrestrial inputs. Due to the differences in human activities in different marine functional areas, the distribution of different heavy metals in different functional areas varies significantly. Affected by the emissions from human activities, the concentrations of Cu and Pb in fishing areas are significantly higher than those in other areas. The high concentrations of Cd, Hg, Zn, and As in port transportation areas are mainly related to land-based inputs and ship activities. However, the higher concentrations of Zn and Cr in remote offshore areas during winter are mainly related to water mass input.