Climate change is making oceans warmer and the fish are taking flight.

And that could have a big impact on New Jersey's $7.9 billion fishing industry according to a new Rutgers-led study published Wednesday.

Aquatic life has a narrow tolerance for temperature range, so as the water heats up species populations are shifting northward to find suitable habitat according to Malin Pinksy, a co-author of the study and an assistant professor in Rutgers' Department of Ecology, Evolution and Natural Resources.

By 2100, the Atlantic's temperature off the Jersey Shore could rise to levels currently seen in Virginia. That could lead to species like black sea bass and summer flounder, both staples of New Jersey's fishing industry, leaving the area and being replaced by more southern species like Atlantic Croaker.

Pinsky said the most dramatic example of a shifting fishery is the Atlantic Cod. The species could lose 90 percent of its habitat in U.S. waters by 2100 in a worst case scenario.

Garden State fishermen, both commercial and recreational, could have to spend more money and resources to chase existing fisheries farther north, or adapt to catching new species moving into the area from farther south.

"This is a big deal for New Jersey's fishermen," Pinsky said.

That's already happening to fishermen in North Carolina, who now sail hundreds of miles north to catch black sea bass off of New Jersey. The fish were once more common in the waters off of North Carolina and Virginia.

Pinsky said that species are going to shift northward, its just a matter of how dramatic that move is. He said he hopes that studies like this one can help fishermen and regulatory bodies manage the changing resource.

"Change isn't easy, but uncertainty is even harder," Pinsky said.

The study used 16 different climate models to help the Rutgers team project population shifts for 686 species of animals in North American waters.

For the study, Pinsky was part of a team led by fellow Rutgers professor James Morley. Another Rutgers professor, Rebecca Selden, was also an author. Robert Latour, College of William & Mary; Thomas Frolicher, University of Bern; and Richard Seagraves of the Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council rounded out the team of researchers. The study was published in the journal PLOS One.

This study is just the latest to detail how climate change could affect New Jersey in the future. Garden State winters are expected to become colder and snowier as the Arctic region continues to heat up.

Some predictions say flooding on the level of Superstorm Sandy could become a regular occurrence after 2030. Studies also show rising seas are beginning to eat away at coastal forests in the Pine Barrens.

Read the full study below:

<a href="https://assets.documentcloud.org/documents/4465135/Rutgers-study-on-shifting-fish-populations.pdf">Rutgers study on shifting fish populations (PDF)</a> <br /> <a href="https://assets.documentcloud.org/documents/4465135/Rutgers-study-on-shifting-fish-populations.txt">Rutgers study on shifting fish populations (Text)</a>

Michael Sol Warren may be reached at mwarren@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @MSolDub. Find NJ.com on Facebook.