Methyl halides are the major carrier of halogens in the atmosphere,and they play an important role in tropospheric and stratospheric ozone depletion. Meanwhile,methyl halides can act as greenhouse gases in the atmosphere,and they are also environmentally significant because of their toxicity. Coastal salt marshes,the important intertidal ecosystems at the land-ocean interface,have been considered to be a large potential natural source of methyl halides. In this paper,the research status of the natural source or sink of methyl halides,the mechanisms of their emission from coastal salt marshes and affecting factors were summarized. In view of this,the following research fields need to be strengthened in the future:1) Long time-scale and large region-range researches about the emission of methyl halides and the evaluation of their source and sink function,2) Accurate quantification of contribution rates of different plant species and various biological types to fluxes of methyl halides,3) Further researches on effects of the tidal fluctuation process and flooding duration on methyl halides emission,4) Effects of the global change and human activities on methyl halides emission.