Thursday, November 12, 2009

Fishermen have known for years that they've had to steam farther and farther from shore to find the cod and haddock found on dinner plates in New England.

A federal study documenting the warming waters of the North Atlantic confirms that they're right. It also indicates that the typical meal could eventually change to other fish normally found to the south, including Atlantic croaker and red hake.

Fisheries biologist Janet Nye says that if New England's traditional fish keep moving offshore, it eventually won't be economical for fishermen to go after them.

For the study, Nye and other National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration researchers analyzed water temperature trends from North Carolina to Maine and compared them with fish survey data on more than 20 species.