The Great Barrier Reef of Australia, located off the country’s northeastern coast, contains the world’s largest collection of coral reefs. The life of this reef was thought to be in grave danger. Now, for the first time in 36 years, the reef has recorded the highest levels of coral cover. However, there are concerns that all the progress made could be reversed quickly. Coral Bleaching is the biggest threat to the health of the Great Barrier Reef Bleaching happens when corals experience stress in their environment due to changes in temperature, pollution or high levels of ocean acidity. Under these stressed conditions, zooxanthellae start producing reactive oxygen species. Zooxanthellae are the food-producing algae living inside the corals which also gives them their bright colour. In response to the stress, the corals start expelling zooxanthellae, thus cutting off their food supply. This also exposes their pale white exoskeleton, giving the corals a bleached appearance. Severe bleaching and prolonged stress in the external environment can lead to coral death. Read more: https://www.thehindu.com/sci-tech/energy-and-environment/explained-the-great-barrier-reefs-recovery-and-vulnerability-to-climate-threats/article65741674.ece?homepage=true Thank you for watching our video! Script: Diksha Munjal Voiceover: Abhinaya Sriram Production: Kivleen Kaur Sahni You can subscribe to our channel here: https://bit.ly/3c8Adi6 Visit https://www.thehindu.com/ for the latest updates, analysis, opinions, and more. You can also download our apps: Android: https://bit.ly/3nboBEi iOs: https://apple.co/3EDCwt4 The Hindu is committed to keeping you up-to-date with information on the developments in India and the world. We promise to deliver quality journalism that stays away from vested interest and political propaganda. You can support us by subscribing to our digital offerings here: https://bit.ly/3emywiz Follow us: Twitter: https://twitter.com/the_hindu Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/the_hindu/ #GreatBarrierReef #Australia #CoralBleaching