Abstract The concentrations of copper, zinc, iron, lead, nickel, manganese and cadmium in the living tissue of the sea snail Rapana venosa (Valenciennes, 1846) from the Sinop coasts of the Black Sea have been measured by atomic absorption spectrophotometer for monitoring metal pollution in the coastal water. A statistically significant difference in the concentrations of all metals was observed among three sampling stations. The results were compared to those of several bivalves and gastropods documented previous studies and discussed.