Department of Biochemistry, University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand.
Forensic Sci Int. 2011 Jun 15;209(1-3):1-10. doi: 10.1016/j.forsciint.2010.10.016. Epub 2010 Nov 12.
The process of decomposition of bodies in the marine environment is poorly understood and almost nothing is currently known about the microorganisms involved. This study aimed to investigate the microbes involved in decomposition in the sea and to evaluate the potential use of marine bacterial succession for postmortem submersion interval (PMSI) estimation, for which there is currently no reliable method. Partial pig remains were completely submerged during autumn and winter and were regularly sampled to document marine bacterial colonisation and the changes in community composition over time. Five stages of decomposition were recognised, some of which exhibited characters specific for partial carrion. Marine bacteria rapidly colonised the submerged remains in a successional manner. Seasonal differences were observed for the rate of decomposition and also for several groups of colonising bacteria. Marine bacteria specific for particular PMSIs were identified. This study provides an insight into the involvement of saprophytic marine bacteria in the decomposition of mammalian remains in the sea and is the first to explore the use of marine bacterial colonisation and succession as a novel tool for PMSI estimation. We propose that with further study, marine bacterial succession will prove useful for determination of the length of time a body may have been immersed in a marine environment.
海洋环境中尸体分解的过程还不太为人所知，目前几乎不了解涉及的微生物。本研究旨在调查海水中参与分解的微生物，并评估海洋细菌演替在死后浸没时间（PMSI）估计中的潜在用途，目前尚无可靠的方法。在秋季和冬季，将完整的猪尸完全淹没，并定期取样，以记录海洋细菌的定殖情况以及随时间推移的群落组成变化。识别出五个分解阶段，其中一些阶段表现出特定于部分腐肉的特征。海洋细菌以连续的方式迅速定殖于淹没的尸体上。观察到分解速度和定殖细菌的几个组存在季节性差异。鉴定出特定于特定 PMSI 的海洋细菌。本研究深入了解了海洋中腐生性海洋细菌对哺乳动物遗骸分解的参与情况，也是首次探索利用海洋细菌定殖和演替作为一种新的 PMSI 估计工具。我们提出，随着进一步研究，海洋细菌演替将被证明对确定尸体在海洋环境中浸泡的时间长短有用。
