Graphene oxide has been used as an adsorbent in wastewater treatment. However, the hydrophily and dispersibility in aqueous solution limit its practical application in environmental protection. In this paper, a novel, environmentally friendly adsorbent, chitosan and chitosan-graphene oxide aerogels with a diverse shape, large specific surface area, and unique porous structure were prepared by a freeze-drying method. The structure of the adsorbents was investigated using scanning electron microscopy, Fourier transform-infrared spectroscopy, and X-ray diffraction (XRD); the specific surface area and swelling capability were also characterized. In addition, removal of diesel oil from seawater by chitosan aerogel (CSAG) and chitosan-graphene oxide aerogel (AGGO-1 and AGGO-2) was studied and batch adsorption experiments were carried out as a function of different adsorbent dosages (0-6 g), contact time (0-120 minutes), pH (3-9), and initial concentrations of oil residue (3-30 g/L) to determine the optimum condition for the adsorption of residue oil from seawater. The results showed that the chitosan-graphene oxide aerogels were more effective to remove diesel oil from seawater compared with pure chitosan aerogel. A removal efficiency ≥ 95% of the chitosan-graphene oxide aerogels could be achieved easily at the initial concentrations of 20 g/L, which indicated that the chitosan-graphene oxide aerogels can be used to treat the industrial oil leakage or effluent in the natural water.