THE NEAR SHORE MARINE ENVIRONMENT OF THE CASPIAN SEA IS A MAJOR REPOSITORY FOR TOXIC METALS ORIGINATING FROM VARIOUS NATURAL AND ANTHROPOGENIC SOURCES. THE METALS ARE NOT EASILY DEGRADED OR DESTROYED, AND TEND TO ACCUMULATE IN COASTAL SOILS AND SEDIMENTS. SINCE THE PERSISTENT TOXIC METALS POSE SERIOUS HEALTH RISKS THIS RESEARCH CONCENTRATED ON INVESTIGATING THE CONCENTRATIONS AND SPATIAL DISTRIBUTION OF METALS IN THE NEAR SHORE SEDIMENTS ALONG THE COAST OF THE CASPIAN SEA IN GILAN PROVINCE.SIX SAMPLING SITES, APPROXIMATELY 50 KM APART, WERE SELECTED FROM THE NEARLY 270 KMS FROM AZERBAIJAN IN WEST TO THE BORDER OF MAZANDARAN PROVINCE IN THE EAST. TO INTERPRET THE EFFECTS OF GRAIN SIZE ON METAL CONCENTRATIONS, EACH OF THE SAMPLES WAS SIEVED. SELECTION OF THREE GRAIN SIZE FRACTIONS (0.355 MM, 0.212 MM, AND 0.075 MM) FROM EACH SAMPLE PLUS SIX BULK SAMPLES YIELDED A TOTAL OF 24 SAMPLES FOR THE ANALYSIS OF METALS. LABORATORY ANALYSIS OF THE SAMPLES UTILIZED THE COLD ACETIC PROTOCOL, FOLLOWED BY INDUCTIVELY COUPLED PLASMA OPTICAL EMISSION SPECTROSCOPY.LARGE SPATIAL VARIATIONS IN THE MEDIAN CONCENTRATIONS OF THE HEAVY METALS (AL, CD, CU, PB, NI, AND ZN) WAS OBSERVED AT THE VARIOUS SAMPLING SITES. CONCENTRATIONS EXCEEDED RECOMMENDED GUIDELINES IN SEVERAL AREAS ESPECIALLY IN THE VICINITY OF THE AZERBAIJAN BORDER. THE CONCENTRATIONS OF HEAVY METALS IN THE MEDIUM AND COARSE SEDIMENT FRACTIONS REFLECTED LOADINGS FROM ANTHROPOGENIC SOURCES LOCATED AT, AND IN THE VICINITY OF THE SAMPLING SITES. IN ADDITION, THE PRESENCE OF HEAVY MINERALS OR COARSE FRACTIONS OF TERRIGENOUS ORIGIN ALSO CONTRIBUTED TO THE INCREASE OF METAL CONCENTRATIONS IN THE MEDIUM AND COARSE SEDIMENT FRACTIONS.