Recently, southern New England Atlantic cod (Gadus morhua) fisheries have reported an increase in landings despite the expectation that this cold-water predator would experience increasing thermal stress due to climate change. Warm-water competitors moving into the region, such as black sea bass (Centropristis striata), could pose a threat as temperatures rise. Understanding how these two top predators will interact in southern New England waters is critical to predicting how competition will structure their future population trajectories.