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In a new study, armor-covered phytoplankton have demonstrated the ability to adapt to warmer and more acidic water temperatures. 

Researchers from Kiel, Germany, studied the effects of higher acidity levels on the Emiliania huxleyi  by elevating levels of carbon dioxide in the water. They found that the phytoplankton responded by growing more rapidly but with slower growth of their armor or shell.

Although this species of plankton is able to adapt, these findings may not bode well for the ocean life that depends on them for a food source. As a result of the thinner layers of armor, the Emiliania huxleyi becomes a less nutritious source of food.

Read more in the LiveScience article.