Abstract
Human remains immersed in marine environments present specific challenges at various steps of the forensic investigation process, including the detection, recovery, analysis, and interpretation of the remains. These challenges need to be clearly identified in order to implement suitable solutions to maximise the chances of recovery of the remains and reduce the risk of uncertainty in the forensic reconstructions, including the biological profile of the deceased. This chapter addresses these issues by following the sequential steps within a forensic investigation in marine environments, focussing on the taphonomic factors and patterns that can impact accurate reconstructions of the taphonomic sequence, from the time of recovery of the remains back to the time of death.
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Acknowledgements
The authors are grateful to the Forensic and Criminal Intelligence Agency of the French Gendarmerie (IRCGN) for providing access to the materials on the accidents presented here.
The authors respectfully acknowledge the families and relatives of the victims of the accidents.
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Ribéreau-Gayon, A., Rando, C., Morgan, R.M. (2018). Human Remains in Marine Environments: Challenges and Future Developments. In: Barone, P., Groen, W. (eds) Multidisciplinary Approaches to Forensic Archaeology. Soil Forensics. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-94397-8_9
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