A bacterial strain that excretes hemolysins and proteases into the growth medium was isolated from sea water and designated as KYJ 961. A nearly complete nucleotide sequence of a 16S ribosomal RNA gene from the isolate was determined following the isolation and cloning of amplified genes. On the basis of the 16S ribosomal DNA sequence data, and morphological, chemotaxonomic, and physiological characteristics, strain KYJ 961 was classified as a strain of Bacillus cereus.