Abstract: National parks are recognized globally as one of the successfully protected areas. Under the international background of increasing awareness of marine protection, many countries and regions have established marine island national parks. The establishment of marine island national parks is not only a reflection of the harmonious coexistence of human and sea, but also an inevitable trend of land and sea coordination. By combing and analyzing the characteristics of marine island national parks in different parts of the world, it is concluded that: whether it is a large-scale wild-type marine island national park represented by the United States, Canada and Australia, a medium-scale semi-rural marine island national park represented by Britain, France and Germany, or a small-scale natural and cultural complex marine national park represented by Japan and South Korea, it has its own advantages in construction, management, ecological protection and public sightseeing and recreation. China has a total coastline of 32 000 km and 11 000 islands, thus it has great potential to establish marine island national parks.