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Previously unrecognized Brucellaspecies have been isolated from a number of marine mammals, including harbor seals (Phoca vitulina richardsi) in the Puget Sound area of the state of Washington. Because of the presence of dairy herds in proximity to the harbor seal populations, a study was conducted to determine the effects of the harbor seal Brucellaisolate in experimentally inoculated cattle. Six pregnant cattle were exposed by intravenous injection (n= 3) or intraconjunctival inoculation (n= 3). Two pregnant cows were intravenously injected with saline and served as controls. All of the cows receiving the Brucellaseroconverted on 1 or more tests commonly used for the detection of Brucella abortusinfection. Two of the cattle receiving the intravenous inoculation aborted, and brucellae were demonstrated in the fetuses and dams immediately following abortion. The remaining 4 Brucella-inoculated animals and their fetuses were culture negative for the organism at 14 weeks postinoculation. Results of this study indicate the marine mammal Brucellais capable of producing seroconversion and abortion in cattle but is less pathogenic in that species than B. abortus.