It is “highly likely” plane wreckage that washed up on the island of Réunion belongs to MH370, according to Cologne experts.

Barnacles attached to the Boeing 777 plane debris – a two to 2.5 metre wing part known as flaperon – uncovered last week could be the key to identifying where it came from.

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University of Cologne geologist, Professor Dr Hans-Georg Herbig, and biologist Philipp Schiffer, believe goose barnacles, marine organisms only found in certain climates, can be seen on the wing part.

The barnacles are crustaceans of the species Lepas, and are often found attached to driftwood.

But what sets them apart is that they are only found in certain latitude dependent climatic zones.

Dr Herbig said if the organisms attached to the debris are “cryophilic”, the place where the crash occurred can easily be identified.

“If we find Lepas australis on the wreckage, then we can be prove with certainty that the plane crash occurred in cool southern marine areas west of Australia,” he said.

“Now, we just have to see the shells to be able to say which type of goose barnacles these are.”

The wreckage, discovered on July 29, is currently being analysed.

It has been formally identified as coming from a Boeing 777 plane – the same model as MH370.

Investigators in France are expected to confirm the debris origins this week.

“Barnacle shells… can tell us valuable information about the water conditions under which they were formed,” Griffith University PhD student Ryan Pearson said.