Seawater drowning leads to acute lung tissue structure injury, lung ventilation and air exchange dysfunction, acute pulmonary edema, and even acute respiratory failure. The pathogenesis of seawater induced acute lung injury is complex, involving inflammatory response, pulmonary edema, pulmonary surfactant, oxidative stress, apoptosis and autophagy. Timely and effective treatment is the key to reduce the mortality and disability rate of patients with seawater induced acute lung injury. This article summarizes the research progress in the pathogenic mechanism and treatment strategy of seawater induced acute lung injury, aiming to provide reference for the comprehensive treatment of seawater induced acute lung injury patients in clinical work and subsequent related research.