Marine biofouling has been one of the predominating concerns for global marine economy development. Any materials immersed in seawater is inevitably subject to bio fouling due to settlement of such marine organisms as protein, bacteria, algae and mollusks, consequently resulting in energy dissipation, offshore device failure and microbiological corrosion. Therefore, it is in urgent need to develop new materials for marine anti-fouling. Now carbon nano-materials are widely used in such projects as marine anti-corrosion and marine anti-biofouling due to excellent physicochemical property. Broad application prospect of carbon materials in the field of marine anti-fouling depends on their prevention of marine fouling attachment and growth. Application status and antifouling mechanism of typical carbon nanomaterials including grapheme, diamond-like carbon, diamond, carbon nano tube, fullerene and its derivatives in preventing such biofouling as protein, bacteria and algae, and excellent comprehensive properties of carbon materials in marine environment were reviewed, so as to give clear insight into opportunities and possibility in development and application of marine antifouling materials.