The maritime industry and port sector are catalysts of economic growth and development of countries. However, they can generate significant environmental and social impacts on marine ecosystems and neighbouring communities. The sustainable development goals (SDGs) proposed by the United Nations (UN) make up the 2030 Agenda and suggest a global sustainable development that needs the collaboration of various stakeholders. In this context, the article aims to identify the SDGs most evidenced in the maritime industry and port sector from a systematic literature review using the tools EndNote, IRaMuTeQ and VOSviewer. The results pointed to SDG 9 Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure, 13 Action against Climate Change and 14 Life on the Water as the most addressed by the studies, highlighting the guidance of the maritime industry and the port sector in contributing to sustainable development based on concern for the marine environment and climate change. It was observed that the studies identified the relevance of contributing to the SDGs. On the other hand, the practical applications were not properly described, thus making it difficult to understand the priority actions for an effective contribution to the SDGs.