%0 Journal Article %A GUNN, B. A. %A COLWELL*, R. R. %T Numerical Taxonomy of Staphylococci Isolated from the Marine Environment %D 1983 %J International Journal of Systematic and Evolutionary Microbiology, %V 33 %N 4 %P 751-759 %@ 1466-5034 %R https://doi.org/10.1099/00207713-33-4-751 %I Microbiology Society, %X A total of 220 strains of staphylococci isolated from marine and estuarine surface water samples were examined for 62 morphological, physiological, and biochemical characteristics. The taxonomic data were analyzed by numerical taxonomy; 86% of the cultures were classified as Staphylococcus epidermidis or Staphylococcus hominis, 5% were classified as Staphylococcus aureus, and 9% were classified as Micrococcus spp. An association was observed between species of Staphylococcus isolated from surface water samples and geographic source. S. epidermidis, the most common of the coagulase-negative staphylococci encountered in clinical laboratories, was the dominant species in samples of polluted water, whereas S. hominis, a less common species in clinical specimens, was dominant in water samples collected from unpolluted regions. The phenetic characteristics of the environmental staphylococcal isolates are presented. %U https://www.microbiologyresearch.org/content/journal/ijsem/10.1099/00207713-33-4-751