The report was accepted last October and published on the World Wide Web in December. Lesser, of Newmarket, has worked as a research associate professor at UNH for the past eight years and is also associate director of the Shoals Marine Laboratory on Appledore Island. He previously served in the Navy and his last duty was at Portsmouth Naval Shipyard. These levels of UVB radiation occur at 7 to 12 meters in Gulf of Maine waters, where cod embryos and larvae are known to develop. The layer of ozone in the stratosphere is critical because it blocks out ultraviolet rays.
Scientists widely believe chlorofluoro-carbons, or CFCs, have reduced ozone in the upper atmosphere.
They further believe a thinner ozone layer contributes to higher rates of skin cancer, eye problems and other diseases. Lesser believes ultraviolet radiation will also increase mortality rates among Gulf of Maine species. But federal regulations forced fishermen to ease off the once-bountiful fish. Strict regulations aimed at assisting the stock's recovery were enacted in the late 1990s, including trip limits and closed grounds. And there is a year-round closure off the coast of Massachusetts and New Hampshire.