Two bacterial strains, designated BBH5 and BBH7 sup(T), were isolated from a deep-sea sediment sample collected from the Chagos Trench of the Indian Ocean (11 degrees 6 minutes S 72 degrees 31 minutes E). Based on their 16S rRNA gene sequence similarity (99.9 %), level of DNA-DNA relatedness (93 %) and a number of similar phenotypic characteristics, the two strains are identified as representing the same species. Their phylogenetically nearest neighbours, based on 16S rRNA gene sequence similarity values (97.9-98.4 %), were identified as Brevibacterium iodinum, Brevibacterium epidermidis, Brevibacterium linens and Brevibacterium permense. However, strains BBH5 and BBH7 sup(T) could be distinguished from the above four species by a number of phenotypic characteristics, and levels of DNA-DNA relatedness between the two new isolates and these Brevibacterium species were 35-42 %. Therefore, strains BBH5 and BBH7 sup(T) are considered to represent a novel species of the genus Brevibacterium, for which the name Brevibacterium oceani sp. nov. is proposed. The type strain is BBH7 sup(T) (= LMG 23457 sup(T) = IAM 15353 sup(T)).