By Dianne Apen-sadler For Mailonline
Published: 08:50 BST, 17 June 2019 | Updated: 09:35 BST, 17 June 2019
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Fish and chips could be off the menu permanently due to global warming, a study has warned.
Scientists say larger marine species - including cod and haddock - face being wiped out as rising temperatures reduce oxygen in the oceans.
The findings were based on an analysis of different sized crustaceans found in abundance in the Antarctic.
When the gas in the water they were in was cut they got smaller - supporting the theory bigger sea creatures are more vulnerable to climate change.
Previous studies have suggested portions of the British pub classic will be up to a fifth smaller by 2050.
Rising sea temperatures has reduced the amount of oxygen in the oceans, which means larger marine species could shrink in size or go extinct (file photo)
Study coauthor Dr Simon Morley, an ecophysiologist with the British Antarctic Survey, said: 'Marine animals thrive in the Southern Ocean but life in these freezing waters has led to the evolution of many distinct characteristics.
Overfishing has decimated cod and haddock stocks a number of times. Most recently, haddock from three North Sea and west of Scotland fisheries were removed from sustainable seafood lists because stocks had fallen below acceptable levels in 2017. During the 1990s, Newfoundland in Canada was forced to ban cod fishing because stocks were nearly wiped out.
While rising sea temperatures reduces the size of cod and haddock, it also forces the fish further north in search of cooler waters. Other fish not traditionally found in UK waters will appear more frequently too - with mixed consequences. For example, cuttlefish and sardines are being caught in increasing numbers, but researchers have warned slipper limpets could ruin oyster and mussel beds.
'These "strategies", which allow animals to survive in the