In recent years, the research of marine drugs has become a global hot spot, and marine traditional Chinese medicine (MTCM) is an important part of traditional Chinese medicine. To promote the development and application of MTCM, this review collected 10 kinds of MTCM from the Pharmacopoeia of the People's Republic of China, analyzed and expounded their pharmacological effects. The pharmacological effects of MTCM are mainly anti-inflammation, antioxidation and anticancer, and could be used for the treatment of diabetes, atherosclerosis and other diseases. Modern pharmacological studies have confirmed that the pharmacological effects of MTCM are consistent with those recorded in ancient books, Ostreae Concha and Laminaria Thallus, as MTCM, have been listed as medicinal and edible substances in China. However, MTCM is facing problems such as lack of quality standards and resource destruction. Therefore, it is necessary to summarize the pharmacological effects and use methods of MTCM, to provide reference for the application and resource development of MTCM.