Abstract: Anunderwater topography survey is a basics part of marine science research, and the main task of hydrographic surveying and charting. The traditional underwater acoustics method that uses a survey boat as a carrier can have difficulties in coastal zones or shallow water. In recent years, the emergence and application of airborne laser bathymetry technology has made up for the technical defects of traditional underwater acoustics, providing a new method to solve the practical engineering problems. This paper introduces the basic principles and error sources in airborne laser bathymetry, and summarizes the current progress and developments The advantages and problems of airborne laser bathymetry technology in the offshore shallow water areas are identified and analyzed for reference. This paper concludes with a discussion of developing trends in this technology.