Sharks are reacting in unexpected ways as cocaine gets dumped off Florida coast

Hird and Fanara dove into the waters in the Florida Keys to monitor how sharks in the area were behaving and quickly noticed some unusual behaviour, like a great hammerhead that displayed no trepidation toward humans and appeared to be swimming off-kilter, and a sandbar shark swimming in tight, repetitive circles.

In one instance, researchers dropped the fake bales alongside imitation swans and the sharks bypassed the birds in favour of the bales, with one shark swimming off with a package as others chomped on the bales. In another experiment, researchers use bait containing a concentration of fish power to replicate the dopamine rush of cocaine and the sharks reacted immediately.

In another experiment, sharks quickly moved in after the team dropped fake cocaine bales from an airplane. Hird admits that the reactions could be influenced by a variety of factors and the experiments would need to be repeated to draw any accurate conclusions about how sharks might react to drugs in ocean waters.Article content

For two months, researchers dosed 60 captive-bred brown trout with water containing the same amount of methamphetamine — one microgram per litre — that had been documented near wastewater treatment plants in Czechia and Slovakia. In a separate tank, 60 control trout were kept in drug-free water.

Canada Latest News, Canada Headlines

Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.

Jason Momoa hosts Discovery's 'Shark Week,' featuring feeding frenzies and junkie sharksJason Momoa, who in real life dreamed of a career as a marine biologist before Hollywood anointed him an ocean god, is going back to his roots to celebrate all things shark.
Source: PGCitizen - 🏆 65. / 51 Read more »

B.C. researchers discover Janus, the first 'two-faced' starAn international team of astronomers, including two UBC researchers, reveal the first 'two-faced' star, a celestial Rosetta Stone to help unravel the cosmic evolution of a dying star.
Source: timescolonist - 🏆 15. / 75 Read more »

DOUBLE TROUBLE: Two twisters also touched down in rural eastern Ontario on July 13, researchers concludeWestern University Northern Tornadoes Project investigators say tornadoes touched down at Embrun and between Fournier and St\u002DBernadin.
Source: ottawasuncom - 🏆 4. / 92 Read more »

Two twisters also touched down in rural eastern Ontario on July 13, researchers concludeWestern University Northern Tornadoes Project investigators say tornadoes touched down at Embrun and between Fournier and St\u002DBernadin.
Source: OttawaCitizen - 🏆 21. / 68 Read more »

Calgary 'the place to be' for hail researchers expanding project in second year of studyThe Northern Hail Project is expanding its efforts as it enters its second year of gathering data on storms in and around the Calgary area.
Source: calgarysun - 🏆 63. / 52 Read more »

Calgary 'the place to be' for hail researchers expanding project in second year of studyThe Northern Hail Project is expanding its efforts as it enters its second year of gathering data on storms in and around the Calgary area.
Source: calgaryherald - 🏆 64. / 52 Read more »