A new report from the journal Proceedings of the Royal Society Biological Sciences outlines the terrible toll that overfishing and climate change has had on the stocks of the cod. Authors of the study Richard Kirby, a Royal Society Research Fellow at the University of Plymouth, and Grégory Beaugrand, from the French Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique warn that the cod stocks of the North Sea are facing a bleak future.

The cod of the North Sea have been seriously depleted by dangerous and exploitive fishing practices. But the problems for the cod go far beyond diminished numbers. The climate change caused by global warming has increased the temperature of the North Sea by more than 1 degree Celsius and has wrecked havoc on the cod's habitat. When cod first hatch as larvae they feed upon tiny plankton which find the warmer temperatures inhospitable. They have left the area for cooler temperatures leaving nothing for the young maturing cod to feed upon.

With the numbers of cod already severely depleted by the fishing industry it may be impossible to save cod from inevitable extinction. But it is not just the cod alone that are feeling the impact of the climate change. With the numbers of cod steadily declining, to spite warnings that the fishing industry had gotten out of hand, the marine life that cod would normally have fed upon such as crabs and jellyfish have seen an explosion in population numbers without a natural predator to keep their numbers in check. These increased numbers of crab and jellyfish in turn is resulting in quickly dwindling numbers of the fish that they feed upon such as sole and plaice.

Eventually if the temperatures continue to rise, the food source for the crabs and jellyfish begin to fade away, they to will start to feel the impact of global warming and over fishing. The ocean is a very fragile ecosystem and when one single part of that system is thrown out of balance the effects can ripple through out the ocean. With the disappearance of the cod will also go a major source of food and a collapse of the cod fishing industry.

This report drives home the importance of embracing sustainable fishing practices and combating global warming. Their study is detailed in the journal and provides a clear picture of what is at stake for both the cod and the oceans themselves. While the changes needed may be deep reaching and wide spread, they are changes that will be necessary for the survival of the ocean, and in turn the entire planet.