In this article, electrochemical behaviors and their topography observation for four organic coatings used in seawater, by using both electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) and atomic force microscopy (AFM) methods to study environment behaviors of different coatings as well as the effects of their film formation, pigments, and fillers on anticorrosion behaviors, were measured. The results show that polyurethane, epoxy, and chlorinated rubber coatings all present one capacitive loop in their tested EIS which contains phenomenally only one time constant, whereas alkyd coating presents two capacitive semicircle arcs. With two capacitive loops, the capacitive semicircle in the high frequency range represents barrier layer property, but the semicircle in the low frequency range represents corrosion reaction of metals under the film. Polyurethane coating used in seawater has well anticorrosion property in seawater immersion test. The appearance features of different layers are visible different between different layers of tested coatings at their surface topography. The property of polyurethane paint film coated on metal is better than other layers, and film of alkyd coating has many pits at its surface by observing the layer's images. AFM photos imaged have also been used to further detail surface topography for four organic coatings, and to approve effects of topography of these coatings on its electrochemical behaviors, from two views of both height and phase modes. It is beneficial to explain deeply the environment behaviors and degradation mechanism of organic coatings. To further study failure of these organic coatings and dynamic processes of corrosion of metal under the film, two equivalent circuit models, according to these tested EIS, have been suggested to explain the corrosive kinetics of these four coatings. To polyurethane, epoxy, and chlorinated rubber coatings used in seawater which have good protection effects for substrate metal, the diffusion process for water, from their layer's surface to interface of film/metal, is mainly controlled factor for degradation. However, the electrochemical reaction process has may become a control procedure for corrosion of alkyd coated metal. (C) 2008 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.