The Great Barrier Reef is headed for a 'grim future' and will suffer a 'rapid coral decline' by 2050 but parts may recover if global warming is kept below 2C, a new study has found. Researchers at the University of Queensland (UQ) used modelling to simulate the lifecycles of certain coral species and found that some were better at adapting to warmer oceans and could help new coral grow. Reefs near cooler-water currents were also more resilient, giving a 'glimmer of hope' to the natural wonder, which has suffered severe climate-induced heat stress in recent years. The study warned that curbing carbon emissions was crucial to allow coral to recover and avoid a 'near collapse' of the reef. Dr Yves-Marie Bozec, who led the research, said the modelling of more than 3,800 individual reefs that make up the Great Barrier Reef looked at their 'eco-evolutionary dynamics'. This included how corals interact with each other, how they deal with warmer water, and corals in naturally cooler areas. 'We ran all of those factors with the most up-to-date climate projections - and the news was not good,' he said. 'We forecast a rapid coral decline before the middle of this century regardless of the emissions scenario.' The Great Barrier Reef is one of the world's most biodiverse ecosystems, stretching more than 2,300km (1,400 miles) off Australia's north-east coast. It has suffered four significant marine heatwaves between 2016 and 2022, causing much of its coral to expel the algae which gives them life and colour - a process called bleaching, which is often fatal.