Playing as the Thalan, I researched the extreme world colonization and all three extreme worlds,  Aquatic, Barren and Frozen.  I colonized Aquatic and Frozen worlds with no problem but I was unable to colonize a barren world.

Later in the game I had Atmospheric cleansing, Toxic World and Radioactive world.  I was able to colonize those worlds but the barren world could not be colonized still.  It was not the colony ship I was using as it worked for a toxic world afterwards.