Microbes are ubiquitous on Earth, yet the drivers that regulate microbial activity and shape microbial diversity are not clear, particularly in dry ecosystems. I present work from the hyperarid Namib Desert, Namibia, a model dune system that has revealed overlooked controls on decomposition as well as unique dispersal vectors for microbes, like coastal fog. This provides a insight into how microbes survive under extreme water stress, and how we understand the ecology of the 40% of land surface occupied by drylands
