a b s t r a c t a r t i c l e i n f oArticle history: Received 9 January 2016 Received in revised form 26 July 2016 Accepted 29 July 2016 Available online xxxx An integrative biomarker approach was employed to evaluate the environmental quality of the north coast of Shandong Peninsula along the southern Bohai Sea of China, where pollution is an imminent threat due to rapid urbanization and industrialization. A battery of biomarkers and the metal bioaccumulation in tissues of native oyster Crassostrea gigas were measured under field conditions. Integrative biomarker index (IBR) and metal body burden were calculated to differentiate the pollution status of seven sampling sites. According to our results, Xinzhuang (XZ) site was the most severely contaminated, with the highest IBR value of 3.58, while the lowest IBR value (0.04) was obtained at Penglai (PL). Such an integrated biomarker approach was proved as a useful method for environmental quality assessment in the study area.