Microorganisms attached on surfaces of metallic materials are easy to form biofilms under ocean environment and then result in microbiological induced corrosion (MIC). Typical species and traits of corrosive microorganisms under ocean environment such as sulfate-reducing bacteria (SRB), iron-oxidizing bacteria (IOB), acid-producing bacteria (APB) and slime-producing bacteria (SPB) were analyzed and then the synergistic effect between the microbiological induced corrosion involved in marine vessels and platforms and the material friction wear was explained. Accordingly, the recent research progress of MIC under ocean environment in terms of carbon steel, stainless steel and copper alloy was summarized, including the effects of concentration of dissolved oxygen (DO), extracellular polymeric substances (EPS) and biofilm micromorphology on the MIC of carbon steel, the morphological and content changes of the passive film and Cr element in the MIC process, and microorganic resistance against toxicity of Cu ion as well as de-alloying corrosion in MIC. Meanwhile, the structural difference of composite surface layer on carbon steel, stainless steel and copper alloy surface resulted from biofilm, corrosion products and passivity in MIC was compared. Lastly, MIC was explained from the perspectives of cathodic depolarization theory and electrochemical microbially influenced corrosion theory. The relationship and limitations between the two theories were summarized, and some imperative problems to be solved were proposed and presented.