THE Great Barrier Reef has been declared dead by scientists at 25 million years old - which would bring an end to the colourful life of the world's largest single structure of living organisms.

The incredible Coral Sea wilderness, which stretches for roughly 1,400 miles over an area of roughly 133,00sq/m, is said to have finally succumbed to bleaching.

4 The Great Barrier Reef covers an area bigger than the UK is made up of billions of tiny living organisms Credit: Getty Images

4 The reef is home to hundreds of different species of fish, and is brightly coloured because of the algae on its coral Credit: Getty Images

Some scientists have rubbished claims the reef is dead as greatly exaggerated, but have explained that it is under severe stress.

A mass bleaching event fuelled by warmer oceans because of climate change has harmed corals around the world, but has been most visibility damaging to the Great Barrier Reef.

Bleaching causes corals to expel their algae be left bare, and without algae it cannot get the nutrients it needs.

The icon of the natural world is bigger than the whole of the UK and is composed of over 2,900 individual reefs and 900 islands.

It is home to 1,625 species of fish, 3,000 molluscs, and 30 different types of whale and dolphin.

The reef lies off the coast of Queensland in Australia and can be seen from outer space.

Related stories 'IT’S LOCKER ROOM TALK' Donald Trump admits feeling embarrassed by ‘Trump Tape’ revelations Video holy smoke This vape wizard creates AMAZING smoke shapes which wouldn't look out of place floating in the ocean short shark shock Scientists amazed as 5ft body of rare deep-water Blue Shark washes up on a Scottish beach 'BROCCOLI TASTES LIKE CHOCOLATE' Scientists invent device that changes tastes on the tongue GLOW IN THE DARK Scientists engineer 'glow-in-the-dark' bacteria - to help spot the bugs that cause food poisoning

Leading environmentalist writer Rowan Jacobsen declared the incredible structure dead, and in a somewhat tongue-in-cheek column wrote: "The Great Barrier Reef of Australia passed away in 2016 after a long illness.

"It was 25 million years old."

The reef is commonly referred to as the world's largest living thing but it is actually made up of billions of tiny organisms.

A 2.4mile wide honey fungus stretching across the Blue Mountains in Oregon, USA is actually the world's largest living thing.

News of the Great Barrier Reef's possible demise has come after an inquest found Brit backpacker Bethany Farrell died while diving in the reef because of a "string of safety failings".

The damage to the natural wonder through climate change has come as the public has been warned about the effect global warming may have on the supply of their favourite foods.

4 A Green Sea Turtle swims over the Great Barrier Reef in the Coral Sea off the coast of Queensland in Australia Credit: Alamy

4 The reef is a favourite with divers and scientists fascinated by marine life Credit: Getty Images

The Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority has started the second phase of its survey to assess the impact of 2016's bleaching.

The research showed that "22 per cent of the coral on the reef died due to the worst mass bleaching event on record."

85 per cent of the mortality occurred in a 600km stretch of reef between the tip of Cape York and just north of Lizard Island.

The death of the Great Barrier Reef follows years of anxiety among the scientific community about how long it had left.

In 2009 the chief scientist of the Australian Institute of Marine Science Charles Veron held a talk in London called: "Is the Great Barrier Reef on Death Row?"

Rowan Jacobsen wrote an obituary for the reef in Outside, in which he quoted Veron as saying:"The whole northern section is trashed. It looks like a war zone, It's heartbreaking. I used to have the best job in the world.

"Now it's turned sour."