The relative abundance of gram-positive bacteria in a variety of near-shore marine samples was determined using the KOH method. Gram-positive bacteria accounted for 14%, 25%, 31 %, and 12%, respectively, of the colony-forming bacteria obtained from seawater, sediments, and the surfaces of algae and invertebrates. A total of 481 gram-positive strains were isolated representing a wide range of morphological groups including regular and irregular rods, cocci, and actinomycetes. Seventy-seven percent of the strains characterized did not form spores and were aerobic, catalase-positive rods with regular to irregular cell morphologies. Eighty-two percent of the strains tested showed an obligate requirement of seawater for growth. None of the cocci tested required seawater or sodium for growth. This is the first report documenting that gram-positive bacteria can compose a large percentage of the culturable, heterotrophic bacteria associated with the surfaces of tropical marine algae.