Barnacles: the marine life can be clearly seen in this photo.
Barnacles: the marine life can be clearly seen in this photo.
Shellfish attached to the suspected wreckage of lost flight MH370 has been analysed by a local french-language newspaper on the island where the wreckage washed up.
Le Journal de l'ile de la Réunion says the academic Joseph Poupin of the Naval School of Brest, France, said the shellfish belonged to the Lepa Anatifera species, which live in warm and hot waters.
They grow at a rate of 1cm to 2cm per year, he said, and deemed the size of the shellfish shown to him by Le Journal de l'ile de la Réunion to have been growing on the debris for several months or a year.
Wreckage has been found near Reunion Island, off the coast of Madagascar.
Meanwhile, a volcanic eruption is "probable and imminent" on Reunion Island, where the plane debris was found.
, told NZME News Service this morning the volcanic eruption has begun, but he didn't think it would be a problem for helicopters in the area because "it's not a volcano that smokes a lot".
Malaysian authorities have arrived in the island, he said, and the wreckage would be sent to Toulouse in France on Saturday (local time) for analysis.
Gignoux told the Herald last night from Reunion Island that it felt strange that his small island home had become the subject of the world's media attention in just a few hours.
Every reporter at his French-language daily newspaper was covering the story, he said.
"People are talking a lot about it on radios...Every one has his idea about what it is." (sic)
Gignoux said there were not many people going to the beach to look for more debris as it was a rock beach and not very easy to access.
Barnacles: the marine life can be clearly seen in this photo.
However there were a lot of journalists starting to arrive on the island, he said.
Police had done a search on foot yesterday morning local-time for more pieces of debris, while an army vessel searched the seaside.
Then on the orders of a judge leading the investigation from Paris, a helicopter from the French paramilitary police (gendarmes or gendarmerie) flew yesterday afternoon above the area to take pictures.
He had managed to talk with Mr Bègue as he was leaving the police station early yesterday evening, "where he told his story one more time".
He told Gignoux: "I'm happy if my discovery can help victim's families to mourn."
Mr Bègue had been taking a break from work and walking on the beach on Wednesday morning when, at 9am, he saw the debris.
"I realised quickly it was a piece of plane. One of my friend, looking on the internet, said the last crash in the area was the one from Malaysia Airlines," he said.
Gignoux said both the piece of debris and the suitcase were now being held by a special unit of police that deals with air transport matters - "brigade de gendarmerie des transports aériens".
On Wednesday night local time this unit had tried to identify the piece of plane, Gignoux said.
According to several sources - which were not official yet - this piece of debris appeared to be a "flaperon leading edge panel" from a Boeing 777, he said.
The had investigated a technical book, and it seemed to confirm this information, Gignoux said.
Aviation experts certain debris is from a Boeing 777
Speaking to NewstalkZB this morning, aviation expert Geoffrey Thomas said he was certain the debris had come from a Boeing 777.
If that was the case, it "had to be" from MH370, he said.
"There is only one 777 missing, that's MH370, it simply couldn't be from another 777.
"It would be a "major breakthrough" if the debris was from MH370, Mr Thomas said.
"From the families point of view it absolutely proves positive this plane is lost. It can dispel the conspiracy theories that it's in Afghanistan or Russia.
"For the searchers it is a boost that they are looking in the right place, and the University of Western Australia is doing reverse engineering already on their modelling to be able to track back the drift of this particular piece.
"They are going to be able to really zero in on an area where it originated from, and they already suggest it will be from a search area they are already currently looking."
He said "human input" was likely what brought the plane down.
"Whether it's a pilot, or hijacking or terrorists... you just don't know. It is too hard to speculate on that."
Family of MH370 Kiwi passenger reacts to wreckage find
Paul and Danica Weeks.
On her Facebook page, Danica Weeks, whose husband Paul was one of two Kiwis on board the doomed flight, thanked everyone for their support, after receiving yesterday's news.
"Thank you everyone for your show of support. Just waiting to see if it is confirmed or not, long, hard day, just like the last 510 days."
Mr Weeks, a former engineer from Christchurch, was on board the Boeing 777, travelling to Mongolia for his new job with Transwest Mongolia when it disappeared.
Paul's sister, Sarah Weeks, said the family was still waiting for news with bated breath this morning.
Sara Weeks has been left with a "sinking feeling." Photo / 3 News
"We are just waiting to hear at this stage. Danica has been in touch with the Australian authorities and she is just waiting for them to get back to her, I guess when they find out whether it is a part of the plane or not
"There's been lots of other false leads other times so I guess we are all just sitting back and waiting to get some confirmation of whether it is or isn't before we go any further."
She did not want to "speculate" as to whether a washed up suit case was also linked to the doomed flight, Ms Weeks said.
"I've seen washed up suitcases in Christchurch. That could be just a bit of rubbish - but again maybe it could be.
"I think if they can confirm that the piece of debris is from MH370, then more than likely you would imagine the suitcase would belong as well."
She would remain "on edge" until the family had some more definitive answers, she said.
"You just feel really quite anxious, but I guess it's probably no different, we have all felt that way for 500-odd days now."It just makes it a little bit worse I have to say."
