As the world energy consumption grows, the interest in marin energy resources is increasing. In excavating such resources, the marine riser which connects the floating structure and sea bed is an essential device. The riser system is often exposed to harsh ocean environment and thus vulnerable to damage. Since the failure of the riser system may cause serious economical loss as well as environmental problem, the structural integrity of the riser is very important. Generally, the riser is an extremely slender structure with a much smaller diameter than a length. Therefore, a structural integrity monitoring methodology for typical buildings and bridges may not be applicable. In this paper, the applicability of a damage identification method for a structure to a marine riser is examined via a numerical example. Also, recent research practices and findings for monitoring the behavior and the structural integrity of the marine riser are examined and summarized.