Scientists have discovered that sharks off the coast of Brazil have tested positive for cocaine, raising concerns among marine biologists.

Thirteen Brazilian sharpnose sharks were captured near Rio de Janeiro and tested for cocaine in their muscles and livers. The levels found were up to 100 times higher than those previously detected in other marine animals.

This marks the first time cocaine has been detected in sharks, according to research conducted by the Oswaldo Cruz Foundation.

Experts suggest that the cocaine may be entering the ocean from illegal drug manufacturing sites or through the excrement of drug users.

While the possibility of cocaine being lost or discarded by traffickers at sea exists, researchers consider it less likely.

Sara Novais, a marine eco-toxicologist at the Marine and Environmental Sciences Centre of the Polytechnic University of Leiria, told Science magazine that the findings are “very important and potentially worrying”.

All of the female sharks tested were pregnant, but the impact of cocaine exposure on their unborn young remains unknown.

Further studies are needed to determine if cocaine is affecting shark behaviour. Previous research has indicated that drugs can have similar effects on animals as they do on humans.

Last year, benzoylecgonine, a chemical compound produced by the liver after cocaine use, was found in seawater samples taken off the south coast of England.

 

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