The archived dataset was collected during several field campaigns conducted from October 2011 to July 2017 at Port Dickson Marina, Malaysia, and Biscayne Bay, Miami. SediMeters (SM) equipped with optical backscatter (OBS) sensors were deployed to measure sedimentation rates and turbidity levels. The OBS sensors emit near-infrared (NIR) pulses at 945 nm and detect backscatter at 180º, translating sensor data into Formazin Turbidity Units (FTU) or Formazin Backscatter Units (FBU). Ambient light interference was minimized by black-filtered detectors. SM units were deployed side-by-side for validation purposes, secured onto angle bars with sensors partially unburied to accurately monitor sediment fluxes and seabed elevation.Sedimentation rates were concurrently quantified using sediment traps (STs) designed with three plastic bottles attached to a central steel bar, installed firmly 2 m above the seabed. Sediments collected in STs were filtered, oven-dried, and weighed to determine accumulation rates (mg cm⁻² day⁻¹). SM calibration involved laboratory tank experiments using known sediment concentrations (0.01 to 50 g L⁻¹), correlating turbidity readings with suspended sediment concentrations (SSC). Laboratory validation was performed using a Turner Design Trilogy Fluorometer, yielding highly reliable calibration curves (R² = 0.999). This dataset enhances understanding of sediment transport processes and bed dynamics in tropical coastal environments.