The analytical expressions of the M2-factor for laser beams propagating in oceanic turbulence are derived by using the extended Huygens-Fresnel principle and the definition of the second moment of the Wigner distribution function(WDF). Taking the standard Hermite-Gaussian (SHG) beams and elegant Hermite-Gaussian (EHG) beams as typical examples of laser beams, the propagation properties of the SHG beams and EHG beams in oceanic turbulence are analyzed quantitatively. It is shown that in oceanic turbulence the M2-factor of SHG and EHG beams are different except for beam order m=0 and m=1. At a given propagation distance, the relative M2-factor of SHG and EHG beams in turbulence monotonously decreases with increasing beam order. The relative M2-factor of SHG beams are less than those of EHG beams under the same condition, implying that turbulence influences SHG beams less than EHG beams. © COPYRIGHT SPIE. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.