If you thought so-called “cocaine sharks” were old news, think again.
A study published in Environmental Pollution, an international peer-reviewed journal known for sharing research papers focused on pollution concerns, has been making the rounds on social media and elsewhere in recent days.
In the paper, several species found in the Bahamas are given a closer look, with researchers coming to the conclusion that this paper represents “the first report of diclofenac and cocaine” in sharks from the region.
“Pharmaceuticals and illicit drugs are increasingly recognized as contaminants of emerging concern (CECs) in marine environments, particularly in areas undergoing rapid urbanization and tourism-driven development,” researchers said, as seen here. “Potential exposure to such contaminants, however, remains largely unexplored in The Bahamas.”
The study, per the paper, focused on a selection of CECs, cocaine among them, and their possible “associations with physiological systemic health markers” in five different shark species.
Out of 85 sharks, researchers say they found 28 that showed “detectable levels” of cocaine, acetaminophen, caffeine, and diclofenac.
The aim of this research, it seems, is to sound the alarm on pollution in the region, particularly amid its sustained status as a go-to tourist destination.
Remarkably, this is not the first time cocaine and sharks have collided in the work of environmentally concerned researchers. In 2023, researchers expressed concern on the topic in connection with Floridian sharks. The issue was again raised the following year, this time over coke-contaminated sharks in Brazil.
Though it’s hardly a total salve, these afflicted sharks at least have a new Chet Hanks song about cocaine and strippers to look forward to. That has to mean something.
