Purpose The purpose of this paper is to study the corrosion behavior of 316L stainless steel under cavitation condition in simulated seawater. Design/methodology/approach Electrochemical impedance spectroscopy and electrochemical noise analyses are used to characterize the electrochemical process during the cavitation erosion process. Findings Because of good corrosion resistance of this material, mechanical damage is the main cause of cavitation erosion. The alloy surface is in active dissolution state during the cavitation erosion process, and the corrosion rate is accelerated as time prolongs which is verified by electrochemical results. Originality/value Electrochemical noise is an effective way to study the corrosion under cavitation erosion process.