Amphibian populations are declining in numbers worldwide  Not coincidentally, the earth' s ozone layer has been continuously depleted throughout the last 50 years  Atmospheric ozone blocks UV-B, a type of ultraviolet radiation that is continuously produced by the sun, and which can damage genes  Because amphibians lack hair, hide, or feathers to shield them, they are particularly vulnerable to UV-B radiation  In addition, their gelatinous eggs lack the protection of leathery or hard shells
Thus, the primary cause of the declining amphibian population is the depletion of the ozone layer
Atmospheric ozone has been significantly depleted above all the areas of the world in which amphibian populations are declining.