Abstract: High-performance electromagnetic wave absorbing materials (EMAM) are urgently needed in both military and civilian fields, and the research of next-generation EMAM is also a hot topic from the perspective of materials science. In this work, different electromagnetic absorption mechanisms and key influencing factors of EMAM used in ship are briefly summarized, and marine EMAM and their optimal design are emphasized.mIn addition, the research progress of next-generation EMAM is discussed from perspectives of nano EMAM, conductive polymer EMAM, chiral EMAM, and high-entropy EMAM. Finally, the future research direction in EMAM are presented.