New Data From the Sea

When the first piece of MH370 debris washed ashore on La Réunion in July, 2015, investigators immediately realized that creatures living on its surface -- a species of goose barnacle called Lepas anatifera -- could yield clues as to where the plane had crashed. There was a big problem, however: they didn't know how these barnacles really grow in the open ocean. A few days ago, a volunteer collected a scientific drifter buoy that was covered in these organisms, and in today's episode we discuss how they provide a new understanding of the aircraft debris and of the fate of the plane itself. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.