The cell numbers of heterotrophic bacteria inhabiting the surface and bottom sea water harvested from the 5 stations in the marine ranching ground of Tongyeong coastal waters in $2003{sim}2007$ were examined, and species composition of the heterotrophic bacterial population and dominant species were analyzed as well. Sea water samples collected in summer season contained much higher number of heterotrophic bacteria than those harvested in winter, spring and autumn seasons due to the higher sea water temperature. However the cell number of heterotrophic bacteria did not show a significant dependence on the location of the sampling stations. The cell number of heterotrophic bacteria in the surface sea water harvested in October 2003 and in September 2004 was not discernibly different from that in the bottom sea water and sometimes the former was even fewer than the latter because of the typhoon and localized torrential downpour. The number of heterotrophic bacteria decreased every year. The main bacterial species were Pseudomonas fluorescens TY1, Pseudomonas stutzeri TY2, Acinetobacter lwoffii TY3, Sphingomonas paucimobilis TY4, Burkholderia mallei TY5, Pasteurella haemolytica TY6, Pasteurella multocida TY7, Comamonas acidovorans TY8, Actinobacillus ureae TY9 and Chryseobacterium indologenes TY10. P. fluorescens TY1 and A. lwoffii TY3 were found to be the dominant species.