The effect of cryoprotectants and suspending solutions on the preservation of marine heterotophic bacteria was investigated. Six halotolerant and four halophilic bacterial isolates suspended in either distilled water or artificial seawater were preserved in glycerol and dimethylsulfoxide at -70 C, respectively. After one year of preservation, the recovery rates on the appropriate agar plates were estimated. The survival rate was found to be dependent on the strain tested, regardless of the preservation conditions tested.