A new study is changing the way we think about fog.

Turns out it's not just an amorphous blob of water droplets: "We found that millions of bacteria inhabit ... fog droplets," study co-author Ferran Garcia-Pichel of Arizona State University, said in an email to USA TODAY.

In fact, the research team found that bacteria floating in tiny fog droplets are alive, growing and breaking down pollutants in the air.

"Not only are they there, they are actively consuming atmospheric pollutants, and likely also growing in them. Fog is a habitat," he said.

https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/weather/2026/05/31/fog-contains-millions-of-bacteria-study-finds/90276073007/?tbref=hp