Cod (Gadus morhua) stocks in the North Sea have declined to historically
low levels of abundance and are considered to be suffering from a reduced
ability to reproduce. In this situation there is considerable concern about
the way in which climate change may affect the ability of these stocks to
recover. Theoretical studies based on the effects of temperature on growth and
spawning success or recruitment suggest that increases in temperature may
result in the decline and subsequent disappearance of cod from the North Sea.
Consequently it is useful to look at long time series data to see whether
there is evidence for direct impacts of temperature changes on cod.
Data includes otolith age, length and growth increment measurements, as well
as high resolution photographs.
