Overview
- Peer‑reviewed findings in Environmental Pollution report that 28 of 85 sharks sampled near Eleuthera had at least one drug in their blood, including caffeine, cocaine, acetaminophen and diclofenac.
- Scientists tested five species and identified positives in Caribbean reef, Atlantic nurse and lemon sharks, with blacktip and tiger sharks also included in the broader sampling.
- Blood tests showed shifts in metabolic markers such as triglycerides, urea and lactate, though the study says behavioral or population impacts are not yet known.
- The team links the contamination to human wastewater, noting heavy tourism, more vacation properties and shallow coastal activity increase exposure in popular dive and cruising areas.
- The detections include the first records of caffeine and acetaminophen in any shark and the first report of cocaine in Bahamian sharks, building on 2024 findings of cocaine in sharks off Brazil.