It may be a British staple but the traditional fish and chips is in peril . As waters around the UK get warmer , popular species of fish including haddock , plaice and lemon sole could become less common as they migrate to more preferable water temperatures . And this could see the prices of these fish soar , or see them being taken off the menu completely . Researchers have developed a model that combined long-term fisheries data with climate model projections from the Met Office . From this they predicted the abundance and distribution of popular fish , such as haddock and plaice , could fall as the North Sea warms and this could increase the price of fish and chips . In the past 40 years , reports suggest the North Sea has warmed four times faster than the global average . And with further warming predicted over the coming century , fisheries and scientists are studying the impact on so-called commercial species . This includes research by Dr Steve Simpson , senior lecturer in marine biology and global change at the University of Exeter and Dr Martin Genner , senior lecturer in fish ecology and evolution at the University of Bristol . The researchers developed a model that combined long-term fisheries data with climate model projections from the Met Office . From this they were able to predict the abundance and distribution of the UK 's fish over the next 50 years . As the North Sea warms , species wo n't be able to migrate north to avoid warming temperatures because habitat of a suitable depth is rare . As a result UK fisheries will need to replace current species with those that prefer warmer water such as red mullet ( left ) and John dory ( right ) , for example . Their research found that as the North Sea warms , species wo n't be able to migrate north to avoid warming temperatures because habitat of a suitable depth is rare . And due to higher temperatures , numbers of many of the species are predicted to fall . Marine biologists have found that shellfish take on a sour flavour if they are reared in slightly acidified sea water . They warn that as the planet 's oceans grow more acidic , due to rising carbon dioxide levels , many of our favourite seafoods could become less appetising . Climate change experts predict that over the next century , the acidity levels of the world 's oceans could drop from pH8 to pH7.5 . Many have warned this could lead to shrimps and prawns struggling to build the shells and skeletons they need to survive . 'We will see a real changing of the guard in the next few decades , ' said Dr Simpson . 'Our models predict cold water species will be squeezed out , with warmer water fish likely to take their place . 'For sustainable UK fisheries , we need to move on from haddock and chips and look to southern Europe for our gastronomic inspiration . ' These fish include John dory and red mullet , for example . According to the study , fish distributions are limited by water temperature and some species can only thrive in certain habitats and depths . Dr Martin Genner , senior lecturer in Fish Ecology and Evolution at the University of Bristol , added : 'Long-term standardised fisheries surveys from many European countries , alongside leading climate models for the region , mean it is a unique region to develop and test new modeling approaches . ' 'The modeling technique used in this analysis performed remarkably well when tested on available long-term datasets . 'This provides real confidence in the model 's ability to predict future patterns of fish distributions around the UK . The study was published in Nature Climate Change .
Researchers developed a model that combined long-term fisheries data with climate model projections from the Met Office . As Europe warms the number of popular species is likely to fall . The prices of these staple fish could also rise as they become more rare . John dory and red mullet may replace haddock , plaice and lemon sole .