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In our mind鈥檚 eye, we can picture a pristine coral reef. Shimmering shapes and colours set against azure blue,聽 all teeming with marine life.聽But it鈥檚 a fragile beauty and one increasingly under threat.

A recent study suggested that around half the Great Barrier Reef is now affected by coral bleaching, where warmer water causes the coral to expel algae. It鈥檚 a growing problem which, 聽along with ocean acidification,聽is聽threatening life on the reef.

To find out more, 聽Adam Walton visits聽the School of Ocean Sciences at Bangor University, where scientists have been studying these important eco-systems for many years. He talks to Prof John Turner about the cause of bleaching and to Dr Gareth Williams, who聽is gathering data and information聽from shallow water coral reefs.

Of course bleaching is a problem for warm water reefs - which we are all familiar with.聽 But cold water reefs, found off the coast of Scotland and Norway are increasingly attracting the attention of scientists.聽Bangor's Dr Andy Davies explains why these huge聽formations in deep water are equally聽fascinating.