While French authorities examine the plane debris that washed ashore on Reunion Island last week, the barnacles found on the debris may provide a conclusive analysis of whether the part can be confirmed as the Boeing-777 that went missing when flight MH370 went down last year.
Barnacles Found On Debris May Indicate MH370 Plane’s Position
The plane debris that washed up on Reunion Island last week has every news media in the country abuzz, but it’s the barnacles attached to the potential part of missing flight MH370 that has captured the attention of marine archaeologists and marine biology researchers.
The particular barnacle found on the plane piece has been identified by marine biologist Joseph Poupin as the species Lepas anatifera.
Marine biologists know that lepas anatifera are a species of barnacles that exists in temperate to warm waters such as the Indian Ocean. Marine archaeologists, however, are more concerned with what the barnacles grow on, namely things that have been in the ocean for an extended period of time, like the missing flight.
According to several media outlets, the French authorities are expected to announce whether the plane part belongs to MH370 on Wednesday this week. One of the key components in their investigation may be these very barnacles.
Ecologists Say the Age Of Barnacles May Match the Timeframe of MH370
The barnacles that have been photographed and plastered across newspapers and websites for the past week have gained notoriety in the ecology community as ecologists attempted to identify the stalk barnacles.
After having been named, ecology researchers started working on another piece to the puzzle: does the growth rate of the barnacles match the timeframe of MH370’s disappearance?
One particular ecology researcher, Ryan Pearson of Griffith University in Australia, believes the barnacle shells may hold a key to where the part was located. The PhD student explained that his particular field of study uses the shell composition of barnacles to reveal the migratory pattern of turtles and the same is also true of whale patterns.
In theory, experts may be able to analyze the shell composition to determine which parts of the ocean the flaperon moved from and through before settling on Reunion Island.
How Discovery Research and Marine Archaeologists Can Reveal Secrets
Another clue the crustaceans can provide is based on their size. The growth rate of this species is between 1-2 centimeters a year. Aging the shells, marine biologists have estimated the barnacles to have attached between six months to one year ago–which fits the timeframe of MH370’s disappearance.
According to marine archaeologists, who study the barnacles at shipwrecks to gain clues to the age of the wreckage, the technique can also be used for the plane part.
Ecologists can investigate where the barnacles are attached. The exact positioning of the shells could explain how the debris moved through the water, whether it skimmed the surface or if it was completely submerged.
Other organisms that could help provide evidence of the age and origin location of the debris can be used as well, including tube worms, algae and other shellfish.
Until Wednesday’s investigative results are released, we can only wonder and theorize about the debris. However, as the event of finding MH370 unrolls, the barnacle evidence truly shows the remarkable way in which discovery research from marine archaeologists and marine biologists can help in current affairs.
Keep cool all summer with HidrateMe:
