Shockingly, Dozens of Sharks Test Positive for Drugs

JAKARTA – Research results on behavioral changes shark in Brazilian waters revealed a shocking fact. The sharks tested positive for consuming cocaine .

The findings were published in the journal ScienceDirect by scientists from the Oswaldo Cruz Foundation.

Foxnews reported, Wednesday (24/7/2024) this finding is the first in wild sharks based on testing of 13 sharpnose sharks. As many as 12 of the 13 sharks also tested positive for benzoylecgonine, the main metabolite of cocaine.

“These findings highlight the potential impact of the presence of illicit drugs in the environment,” the researchers said.

Scientists found the highest concentrations of the drug in the sharks’ muscle tissue, but some were also found in the livers at concentrations up to 100 times higher than those found in other marine animals. Researchers believe the sharks ingested cocaine from illegal drug labs in the area.

Last year, scientists tried to study the effects of cocaine on sharks off the coast of Florida. “Sharks have come up and bitten them. So, it sounds crazy, but the likelihood of that happening is actually quite high,” marine biologist Tom Hird said of drugs that have been dumped by smugglers at sea.

As for how dangerous this is to humans, Hird says sharks are more dangerous to themselves than humans.

“If cocaine makes sharks hyperactive and doesn’t make them sleep, my personal belief is that it would make them much more nervous. And loud noises, things like divers in the water splashing around – all those types of things – would actually drive them away because it would act as a deterrent,” he said.

For the experiment, the researchers didn’t actually feed the sharks cocaine. Instead, they used a highly concentrated fish powder to give the sharks a similar effect, as close as possible to cocaine.

(msf)