The vibrant colours of healthy coral reefs will vanish within half a century unless global warming is controlled, according to researchers.

A 2C (3.6F) rise in temperature could kill 98 per cent of the corals. Rubble, overgrown with seaweed, will show where structures such as the Great Barrier Reef were once found. The rainbow of colours on reefs, whether the corals themselves or the creatures that depend on them, will give way to greens and browns. Yesterday 17 scientists argued in Science that emissions of carbon dioxide, which acidifies the seas as well as warming them, must be controlled if coral reefs are to be preserved. Peter Mumby, of Exeter University, said: “Unless we act now, coral reefs are likely to dwindle into insignificance; they’ll be reduced to seaweed beds, rubble and only a few scattered corals. Coral reefs are the largest living structures on Earth and are home to the highest biodiversity.”

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