Cocaine sharks found off the coast of Brazil

Sharks that have tested positive for cocaine have been found off the coast of Rio de Janeiro in Brazil, according to a report.

Marine biologists in Brazil tested 13 sharpnose sharks and found them to have 100 times the amount of cocaine than previously reported in Brazilian aquatic wildlife, according to the BBC.

The research, performed by the Oswaldo Cruz Foundation, suggested the high levels of cocaine come from cocaine manufacturing plants on the shore.

In Science, Sara Novais, a marine ecotoxicologist at the Marine and Environmental Sciences Centre of the Polytechnic University of Leiria, said the study is “very important and potentially worrying,” according to the report.

The report comes after cocaine sharks were reportedly found last year off the coast of Florida.

Shark species have recently become endangered in Brazil due to heavy demand for shark meat in the country, making it one of the top importers of shark meat, most of it from threatened species, in the world, according to the Guardian.

“These findings are indicative of potential human health risks, as sharks are highly consumed in the state of Rio de Janeiro, in fact, throughout the entire Brazilian territory and indeed, worldwide,” the researchers said, according to the Independent.