Edited and translated by Du Mingming, People's Daily Online

Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak said during a press conference in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, on 24 March 2014, that new analysis of satellite data suggested that the missing Malaysia Airlines Flight MH370 "terminated" in the southern Indian Ocean. He also said the type of analysis used to investigate the mystery of the jetliner's disappearance has never been used before. The statement sparked intense speculation on the part of international media.

Australian aviation specialists say the wreckage could be identified through barnacle tests

Australian aviation specialists say that tests should be conducted on barnacles attached to any material recovered from the debris spotted on Monday by Chinese aircraft searching for the missing plane.

Jason Middleton, head of the School of Aviation at University of New South Wales, told Xinhua that any floating debris would attract barnacles, and it was easy for marine experts to determine from them how long the debris had been in the water.

Professor Chun H. Wang from RMIT, also the Director of the Sir Lawrence Wackett Aerospace Research Centre, said that the first priority when the debris was brought to shore would be to examine what was on the surface. These tests will determine how long the debris has been in the water, and whether that fits the timeline of the plane's disappearance. "If the timeline of the barnacles corresponds with the timetable of the missing plane, then it can be considered a valuable lead, and further examination can be carried out," said Wang.

A barnacle is a cirripede, a kind of crustacean, which is found in or very close to sea water. It is covered with hard plates of calcium carbonate. Once it finds a suitable location, it secretes an adhesive from its antennae and remains permanently attached to hard surfaces.

Read the Chinese version: 为何未见残骸就确认“终结”？; Source: Beijing News