In other studies, I had already found cocaine in rivers flowing into the sea off Rio, but it was a surprise to find it in sharks – and at such a high level,
Regardless of where the drug came from – which is still not possible to determine – the results show that cocaine is being widely traded and moved in Brazil,
We do not know the level of impact it may have on humans, which will need to be the focus of future studies. But in any case, it serves as a warning,
Cocaine has a low half-life in the environment … so, for us to find it in an animal like this, it means a lot of drugs are entering the biota,
This may be the case, as cocaine targets the brain, and hyperactive and erratic behaviour has been noted in other animals. It’s a possibility and further studies are required,
My goal of this experiment was to shed light on the real problem of chemicals in our waterways and impacting our aquatic life and then eventually impacting us,
Fish are sensitive to adverse effects of many neurologically active drugs from alcohol to cocaine and can develop drug addiction related to the dopamine reward pathway in a similar manner as humans,
It is probable, although not yet proven that exposure would have deleterious physiological effects on the sharks,
We also plan on assessing migratory fish, such as mullet, to verify if migratory behavior affects cocaine accumulation,
We don’t usually see many bales of coke dumped or lost at sea here, unlike what is reported in Mexico and Florida,
They may not be going nuts from the cocaine but it could reduce their life expectancy.