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Plasmodium
The protist genus Plasmodium causes the deadly disease malaria, and it lives in the digestive tracts of mosquitoes until the mosquito transmits it to a human. Plasmodium protists are very widespread and live in a large range of dry tropical biomes. Mosquitoes carrying Plasmodium protists live in such diverse places as central India, the east African savanna, and even desert areas such as Syria. These protists survive in these harsh environments because of their parasitic relationship with the mosquito, which protects them from the elements.
Trypanosomes
Another protist that lives in the harsh, dry areas of the African savanna are trypanosomes, which cause African sleeping sickness. These protists exist in a parasitic relationship with the tsetse fly, a fly that is endemic to large areas of sub-Saharan Africa. Much like other disease-causing protists, trypanosomes exist in the digestive tract of their host until they come into contact with humans.
Trichonympha agilis
Trichonympha agilis lives within the digestive tract of termites, a species that thrives in even the harshest climates as long as woody plants grow there. Termites survive by consuming wood matter, and they can do this because of the trichonympha agilis inside them. This protist breaks down the wood matter inside the termite's stomach and converts it into energy for the termite. Areas such as India and the African savanna host termites that consume the trees found there.
Algae
While people may typically associate algae with the ocean, scientists have succeeded in growing varieties of this protist in the desert as well. Scientists do this because algae can convert energy into biofuels that could replace oil. The consistent temperature and sunlight allows the algae protists to thrive in salty seabeds in deserts.