Hazel Barton is a microbiologist at the University of Colorado in Boulder, Colorado. Barton studies
extremophiles which are
organisms that survive in
environments that would be hostile to human life.
Her studies take her deep into caves where no sunlight is present for the process of photosynthesis necessary for plant life to grow. Barton maintains that the majority of microbal life on Earth thrives in places humans cannot live. Caves are excellent place to find the environment these organisms thrive in. She believes that the study of these organisms can potentially provide clues to the possibility of such life on other planets. For example, there may be simialarities between
extremophiles that live in Greenland's frozen caves and extremophiles on Jupiter's moon, Europa, which is also believed to be an icy world. In contrast, the extremophiles that can live in the underwater caves of the Yucatan may be similar to extremophiles that could be surviving on Mars, which is believed by some scientists to have water under it's surface. Barton also speculates that extremophiles from other planets in this solar system could possibly survive on Earth.
Hazel Barton is striving to educate the general public on extremophile environments and the need to protect those environments. Many caves are torn up by vandals who have no respect for nature or it's habitats. She also recognizes the need for safety since some curious and inexperienced science lovers can become lost or be badly hurt trying to navigate some of these caves. Her efforts to educate people concerning these subjects, has brought her to be featured in an IMAX movie titled, "Journey into Amazing Caves". Part of this educational process also involves the recent publication of two books by the National Geographic Society. Barton is co-author of one of these books.