The invention discloses an offshore scene significance detection method. The method comprises the following steps of: 1, extracting an offshore scene image sequence; 2, transferring each frame image to the CIELab colour space, and extracting the characteristic pattern of luminance and colour passages; 3, using the absolute value of the difference between the extracted characteristics and the global mid value as the global significance map; 4, using the absolute value of the difference between the characteristics and the local mean value filtration as the local significance map; 5, combining the global significance map and the local significance map of the characteristics to obtain an overall significance map; 6, linearly combining the significance maps of the colour passages of frame images, and respectively combining the combined significance maps with the luminance significance maps to form an overall significance map; 7, accumulating by using each frame detection result as the centre and modifying the significance map of the current frame; and 8, converting the overall significance map into a binarization image to obtain an offshore scene significance target area. By adopting the method, the significance area in the offshore scene can be extracted rapidly, and the interference of sea noise wave can be favorably inhibited. The method is simple in implementation, and is suitable for real-time application.