This study aimed to develop an aquatic decomposition scoring ( ADS) method and investigated the predictive value of this method in estimating the postmortem submersion interval ( PMSI) of bodies recovered from the North Sea. This method, consisting of an ADS item list and a pictorial reference atlas, showed a high interobserver agreement (Krippendorff's alpha ≥ 0.93) and hence proved to be valid. This scoring method was applied to data, collected from closed cases-cases in which the postmortal submersion interval ( PMSI) was known-concerning bodies recovered from the North Sea from 1990 to 2013. Thirty-eight cases met the inclusion criteria and were scored by quantifying the observed total aquatic decomposition score ( TADS). Statistical analysis demonstrated that TADS accurately predicts the PMSI ( p < 0.001), confirming that the decomposition process in the North Sea is strongly correlated to time. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]