‘Cocaine shark’: Sea creatures drug tested in worrying incident | Trending

From deforestation to rampant pollution, humanity’s actions are eroding the delicate balance of ecosystems. Brazilian scientists have noticed one such disturbing case and published a research paper. The study looks at 13 sharks that tested positive for cocaine.

The study, titled “‘Cocaine Shark’: First Report of the Detection of Cocaine and Benzoylecgonine in Sharks,” was published in the journal Science of the Total Environment.

According to the study, the drugs probably entered the marine ecosystem through wastewater from illegal cocaine laboratories or “from drug users’ excrement via untreated sewage.” It is suspected that the sharks may also have eaten the cocaine bales that were discarded or lost in the water. However, scientists are not yet sure about the source.

What impact does this have on marine life?

“Sharks and rays play a crucial role as predators in marine ecosystems, shape marine food chains and are considered sentinel species for pollution. In addition, they represent a valuable source of protein and are consumed on a large scale worldwide. However, this consumption has led to even more commercial fishing, which has led to significant population declines in several regions,” the study says.

About the sharks that tested positive for drugs

The sharks that tested positive for drugs were Brazilian sharpnose sharks, or Rhizoprionodon lalandii. Among the 13, there were three males and ten females. The marine animals were caught in 2011 off the coast of Rio de Janeiro in southeastern Brazil, specifically in the Recreio dos Bandeirantes. Over the years, the researchers collected various data on individual sharks, including length, weight, sex, pregnancy status, condition factor and life stage, before publishing the study.

Five of the ten female sharks were pregnant. Of the remaining five, only one was an adult; the others were juveniles. None of the male sharks were adults; they were all classified as juveniles.

The study suggests that the sharks came into contact with the drugs in their natural habitat.