With people's attention to food safety, the investigation on the mechanism of tea polyphenol (TP) and its application in the preservation of aquatic products becomes one of the research hotspots. Based on the introduction to the chemical composition and main action mechanism of TP, the research progress on application of TP in the preservation of aquatic products was reviewed. The existing problems and solutions were put forward. The development of TP in the field of aquatic products preservation was also prospected. As a natural and safe biological preservative, TP had good antioxidant and antibacterial activities. Compared with chemical synthetic preservatives, TP could meet the requirements of people's pursuit of green and healthy food. Only by fully exploiting the advantages of TP and combining it with new antistaling agents or treatment methods, can TP play a better role in the preservation of aquatic products and make its development prospects broader.