▁New ▁Guinea . ▁In ▁his ▁free ▁time , ▁he ▁studied ▁a ▁group ▁of ▁pyg m ies ▁from ▁Equ atorial ▁Africa . ▁He ▁also ▁correspond ed ▁with ▁a ▁Catholic ▁inst itute ▁in ▁Paris ▁that ▁sent ▁him ▁needed ▁literature , ▁but ▁it ▁was ▁impossible ▁for ▁N ego i ţ ă ▁do ▁field ▁research . ▁ ▁He ▁found ▁refuge ▁in ▁a ▁field ▁that ▁he ▁felt ▁he ▁could ▁improve ▁on ▁in ▁his ▁country : ▁spe le ological ▁science . ▁He ▁was ▁ 3 3 ▁when ▁he ▁learned ▁about ▁al pine ▁spe le ology . ▁His ▁major ▁field ▁of ▁interest ▁was ▁vertical ▁c aves , ▁which ▁with ▁depth s ▁of ▁ 2 0 0 – 3 0 0 ▁meters ▁were ▁not ▁well ▁research ed . ▁ ▁His ▁passion ▁for ▁spe le ology ▁later ▁evol ved ▁into ▁an ▁interest ▁in ▁ice ▁c aves . ▁He ▁obtained ▁what ▁he ▁considered ▁to ▁be ▁the ▁best ▁spe le ology ▁equipment , ▁brought ▁in ▁from ▁Czech oslov ak ia , ▁and ▁started ▁to ▁emb ark ▁on ▁a ▁more ▁coh er ent ▁project ▁than ▁solit ary ▁h ob by ▁spe le ology . ▁In ▁ 1 9 8 7 ▁he ▁founded ▁the ▁first ▁Roman ian ▁Institute ▁of ▁Pol ar ▁Research , ▁but ▁it ▁took ▁three ▁ ▁years ▁to ▁obtain ▁the ▁fund ing ▁he ▁needed . ▁ ▁Ar ctic ▁exped itions ▁ ▁N ego i ţ ă ▁organized ▁several ▁Roman ian ▁exped itions ▁in ▁the ▁Ar ctic : ▁in ▁Green land , ▁the ▁northern ▁areas ▁of ▁Canada , ▁and ▁Sp its ber gen ▁island ▁in