Bacteria of the genus Vibrio include harmless aquatic strains as well as strains capable of causing epidemics of cholera and human intestinal diseases. Some of these species may show resistance to different antibiotics including cefotaxime, tetracycline and chloramphenicol. The susceptibility to different antibiotics was tested using 40 Vibrio alginolyticus, eight V. parahaemolyticus and six V. vulnificus strains isolated in the coastal waters of Northern Sardinia (Italy). The frequency of resistance to beta-lactams was unexpectedly high. More than 80% of Vibrio isolates were resistant to ampicillin and 2.5% of V. alginolyticus were resistant to ceftazidime and cefotetan. Forty percent of V. alginolyticus and three V. vulnificus isolates gave a positive nitrocefin test. PCR was also performed using selected primers chosen for having common sequences of bla(TEM) and bla(SHV) genes.