Abstract: Waterway transportation is one of the most important ways of transportation in many countries due to its high carrying capacity, low transport cost and low energy consumption.As a junction of water-land transport, a large amount of domestic and oily sewage is discharged from ships and land due to the frequent trade, and port construction also causes suspending solid, which have led to increasingly serious water pollution in the port area.In order to implement the strategies of sustainable development and carry out the concept of developing Green Port, it is imperative to conduct the research and prevention of water pollution in the port area.Firstly, sources and hazards of the main water pollutants during the construction and operation of ports were summarized in this paper.Then, spatial and temporal distribution characteristics of these water pollutants were illustrated in detail.Finally, based on summary and analysis of the existing literature, the prevention and control measures of water pollution in port area were discussed.And the ecological engineering were also recommended to deal with the sewage in port area.Moreover, the gaps in the formulation of prevention and control plans of water pollution among domestic and foreign ports were compared and analyzed, and deficiencies in the existing research on port water pollution and its prevention and control were pointed out.