Abstract: In recent years, great attention has been paid to the application of USV to marine geological survey. In this paper, the basic concepts, development status at home and abroad, and application to marine geological survey of unmanned ship were summarized, and the application prospect and development trend of USV in marine geological survey were discussed. As a new survey vehicle and operation method, USV carrying geological survey operation system has emerged in marine geological survey. In the future, this intelligent water operation mode will have a broader application prospects.