Off the coast of Florida, scientists are investigating the possibility sharks being addicted to cocaine. The animals consumed some of the drug discarded by drug traffickers who brought them to the United States.
Marine biologist Tom Hird is dedicated to investigating the case. According to Live Science magazine, the Discovery Channel program intends to present the findings in a documentary called “Cocaine Sharks” (sharks cocainein free translation).
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“The deeper story here is how chemicals, pharmaceuticals and illicit drugs enter our waters and what impact they could have on these delicate marine ecosystems,” Hird told the magazine. According to the publication, the US Coast Guard seized around six tons of cocaine in the Caribbean and Atlantic Oceans, stealing nearly $200 million from organized crime.
Hird has the researcher’s help Tracy Fanara, PhD in Environmental Engineering from the University of Florida. They hosted the shark television show Shark Week, which produced the documentary about sharks and cocaine. The attraction is part of the major Discovery Channel in the US.
Tales of the cocaine sharks
Some reports from fishermen in the Florida Keys about the unusual behavior of these animals in the area caught the duo’s attention. The site is a convergence point for ocean currents. Because of this, the tides carry several bales of the drug into the area.
“While we’re filming in the Keys, bales of cocaine wash up on the beach about twice a week,” Tracy said. So it’s really a common problem.”
It is not yet possible to determine what effects this will have on the animals. According to Hird, different fish seem to react differently to the same chemical. “That’s a baseline and we’re going to go from there,” he said.
In addition, he notes that the problem of contamination for sharks goes beyond that cocaine. “Another thing we can find is actually this long stream,” he said. “This trickle of drugs: caffeine, lidocaine, cocaine, amphetamines, antidepressants, birth control — this long, slow journey from the cities to the sea is beginning to reach these animals.”