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Olenin S, Elliott M, Minchin D, Katsanevakis S. Marine ecosystem health and biological pollution: Reconsidering the paradigm. MARINE POLLUTION BULLETIN 2024; 200:116054. [PMID: 38309178 DOI: 10.1016/j.marpolbul.2024.116054] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/29/2023] [Revised: 01/13/2024] [Accepted: 01/13/2024] [Indexed: 02/05/2024]
Abstract
Our study re-evaluates a fundamental paradigm in marine invasion ecology - whether introduced species are considered as contaminants, i.e. just present in the system, or whether they are pollutants per se, i.e. they cause biological harm. This re-evaluation includes the concepts of marine ecosystem health and biological pollution using the European Marine Strategy Framework Directive (MSFD) as an example. Hence, we clarify the distinction between "biological contamination" (pertaining to Non-Indigenous Species (NIS) introductions) and "biological pollution" (associated with Invasive Alien Species - IAS). We emphasize the need for comprehensive indicators that consider their ecological, economic, and societal impacts. The MSFD Descriptor D2 NIS is analysed using the "biocontamination-biopollution" gradient to better reflect the complexities of ecosystem health. We discuss limitations in current monitoring and evaluation criteria, such as the absence of unified NIS/IAS monitoring, challenges in interpreting ecological impacts, and context-dependent assessment results. We emphasize the importance of context-specific management measures, considering the origin of pressures, whether endogenic (caused within a management area such a regional sea) or exogenic (with causes from outside a management area). Ultimately, we underscore the importance of a holistic and adaptable approach to address the diverse challenges posed by biocontamination and biopollution, protecting both marine ecosystems and human well-being in an ever-changing environment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sergej Olenin
- Marine Research Institute, Klaipeda University, Klaipeda 92294, Lithuania.
| | - Michael Elliott
- School of Environmental Sciences, University of Hull, Hull HU6 7RX, UK; International Estuarine & Coastal Specialists (IECS) Ltd., Leven HU17 5LQ, UK
| | - Dan Minchin
- Marine Research Institute, Klaipeda University, Klaipeda 92294, Lithuania; Marine Organism Investigations, Killaloe V94W2N9, Ireland
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Tasker SJL, Foggo A, Scheers K, van der Loop J, Giordano S, Bilton DT. Nuanced impacts of the invasive aquatic plant Crassula helmsii on Northwest European freshwater macroinvertebrate assemblages. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2024; 913:169667. [PMID: 38163603 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2023.169667] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/19/2023] [Revised: 12/22/2023] [Accepted: 12/23/2023] [Indexed: 01/03/2024]
Abstract
Invasive alien species are considered one of the greatest threats to global biodiversity, and are particularly problematic in aquatic systems. Given the foundational role of macrophytes in most freshwaters, alien aquatic plant invasions may drive strong bottom-up impacts on recipient biota. Crassula helmsii (New Zealand pygmyweed) is an Australasian macrophyte, now widespread in northwest Europe. Crassula helmsii rapidly invades small lentic waterbodies, where it is generally considered a serious threat to native biodiversity. The precise ecological impacts of this invasion remain poorly understood, however, particularly with respect to macroinvertebrates, which comprise the bulk of freshwater faunal biodiversity. We conducted a field study of ponds, ditches and small lakes across the core of C. helmsii's invasive range (United Kingdom, Belgium and the Netherlands), finding that invaded sites had higher macroinvertebrate taxon richness than uninvaded sites, and that many infrequent and rare macroinvertebrates co-occurred with C. helmsii. Alien macroinvertebrates were more abundant in C. helmsii sites, however, particularly the North American amphipod Crangonyx pseudogracilis. At the order level, water beetle (Coleoptera) richness and abundance were higher in C. helmsii sites, whereas true fly (Diptera) abundance was higher in uninvaded sites. Taxonomic and functional assemblage composition were both impacted by invasion, largely in relation to taxa and traits associated with detritivory, suggesting that the impacts of C. helmsii on macroinvertebrates are partly mediated by the availability and palatability of its detritus. The nuanced effects of C. helmsii on macroinvertebrates found here should encourage further quantitative research on the impacts of this invasive plant, and perhaps prompt a more balanced re-evaluation of its effects on native aquatic macrofauna.
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Affiliation(s)
- Samuel J L Tasker
- Marine Biology and Ecology Research Centre, School of Biological and Marine Sciences, University of Plymouth, Plymouth PL3 4LL, Devon, United Kingdom.
| | - Andrew Foggo
- Marine Biology and Ecology Research Centre, School of Biological and Marine Sciences, University of Plymouth, Plymouth PL3 4LL, Devon, United Kingdom.
| | - Kevin Scheers
- Freshwater Habitats Team, Institute for Nature and Forest Research (INBO), Havenlaan 88, Box 73, 1000 Brussels, Belgium.
| | - Janneke van der Loop
- Radboud Institute for Biological and Environmental Sciences (RIBES), Radboud University, PO Box 9010, 6500 GL Nijmegen, the Netherlands; Stichting Bargerveen, Toernooiveld 1, 6525 ED Nijmegen, the Netherlands; Netherlands Centre of Expertise on Exotic Species (NEC-E), Toernooiveld 1, 6525 ED Nijmegen, the Netherlands.
| | - Salvatore Giordano
- Marine Biology and Ecology Research Centre, School of Biological and Marine Sciences, University of Plymouth, Plymouth PL3 4LL, Devon, United Kingdom
| | - David T Bilton
- Marine Biology and Ecology Research Centre, School of Biological and Marine Sciences, University of Plymouth, Plymouth PL3 4LL, Devon, United Kingdom; Department of Zoology, University of Johannesburg, PO Box 524, Auckland Park, 2006 Johannesburg, South Africa.
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Ahmed DA, Haubrock PJ, Cuthbert RN, Bang A, Soto I, Balzani P, Tarkan AS, Macêdo RL, Carneiro L, Bodey TW, Oficialdegui FJ, Courtois P, Kourantidou M, Angulo E, Heringer G, Renault D, Turbelin AJ, Hudgins EJ, Liu C, Gojery SA, Arbieu U, Diagne C, Leroy B, Briski E, Bradshaw CJA, Courchamp F. Recent advances in availability and synthesis of the economic costs of biological invasions. Bioscience 2023; 73:560-574. [PMID: 37680688 PMCID: PMC10481418 DOI: 10.1093/biosci/biad060] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/10/2023] [Revised: 05/18/2023] [Accepted: 06/14/2023] [Indexed: 09/09/2023] Open
Abstract
Biological invasions are a global challenge that has received insufficient attention. Recently available cost syntheses have provided policy- and decision makers with reliable and up-to-date information on the economic impacts of biological invasions, aiming to motivate effective management. The resultant InvaCost database is now publicly and freely accessible and enables rapid extraction of monetary cost information. This has facilitated knowledge sharing, developed a more integrated and multidisciplinary network of researchers, and forged multidisciplinary collaborations among diverse organizations and stakeholders. Over 50 scientific publications so far have used the database and have provided detailed assessments of invasion costs across geographic, taxonomic, and spatiotemporal scales. These studies have provided important information that can guide future policy and legislative decisions on the management of biological invasions while simultaneously attracting public and media attention. We provide an overview of the improved availability, reliability, standardization, and defragmentation of monetary costs; discuss how this has enhanced invasion science as a discipline; and outline directions for future development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Danish A Ahmed
- Center for Applied Mathematics and Bioinformatics, Department of Mathematics and Natural Sciences, Gulf University for Science and Technology, Hawally, Kuwait
| | - Phillip J Haubrock
- Center for Applied Mathematics and Bioinformatics, Department of Mathematics and Natural Sciences, Gulf University for Science and Technology, Hawally, Kuwait
- Department of River Ecology and Conservation, Senckenberg Research Institute and Natural History Museum Frankfurt,Gelnhausen, Germany
- South Bohemian Research Center of Aquaculture and Biodiversity of Hydrocenoses, Faculty of Fisheries and Protection of Waters, University of South Bohemia in České Budějovice, Vodňany, Czech Republic
| | - Ross N Cuthbert
- Institute for Global Food Security, School of Biological Sciences at Queen's University Belfast, Belfast, NorthernIreland
| | - Alok Bang
- School of Arts and Sciences at Azim Premji University, Bangalore, India
- School of Arts and Sciences, Azim Premji University, Bhopal, India
- Society for Ecology, Evolution, and Development, Wardha, India
| | - Ismael Soto
- South Bohemian Research Center of Aquaculture and Biodiversity of Hydrocenoses, Faculty of Fisheries and Protection of Waters, University of South Bohemia in České Budějovice, Vodňany, Czech Republic
| | - Paride Balzani
- South Bohemian Research Center of Aquaculture and Biodiversity of Hydrocenoses, Faculty of Fisheries and Protection of Waters, University of South Bohemia in České Budějovice, Vodňany, Czech Republic
| | - Ali Serhan Tarkan
- Department of Basic Sciences in the Faculty of Fisheries at Muğla Sıtkı Koçman University, in Muğla, Turkey
- Department of Life and Environmental Sciences in the Faculty of Science and Technology at Bournemouth University, Poole, Dorset, England, United Kingdom
| | - Rafael L Macêdo
- Graduate Program in Conservation and Ecotourism at the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro State, Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro State, Brazil
- Institute of Biology at Freie Universität Berlin, Berlin, Germany
- Neotropical Limnology Group, at the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro State, Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro State, Brasil
| | - Laís Carneiro
- Laboratório de Ecologia e Conservação in the Departamento de Engenharia Ambiental, Setor de Tecnologia, at the Universidade Federal do Paraná, in Curitiba, Paraná, Brazil
| | - Thomas W Bodey
- School of Biological Sciences at King's College, University of Aberdeen, Aberdeen, Scotland, United Kingdom
| | - Francisco J Oficialdegui
- South Bohemian Research Center of Aquaculture and Biodiversity of Hydrocenoses, Faculty of Fisheries and Protection of Waters, University of South Bohemia in České Budějovice, Vodňany, Czech Republic
| | - Pierre Courtois
- Centre for Environmental Economics—Montpellier, National Institute for Research in Agriculture and the Environment, Montpellier, France
| | - Melina Kourantidou
- Department of Sociology, Environmental and Business Economics, University of Southern Denmark, Esbjerg Ø, Denmark
- Université de Bretagne Occidentale, Plouzané, France
| | | | - Gustavo Heringer
- Departamento de Ecologia e Conservação in the Instituto de Ciências Naturais at the Universidade Federal de Lavras, Lavras, Minas Gerais, Brazil
- Nürtingen-Geislingen University, Nürtingen, Germany
| | - David Renault
- Centre National de Recherche Scientifique's Ecosystèmes, Biodiversité, Evolution, University of Rennes, Rennes, France
| | - Anna J Turbelin
- Université Paris–Saclay, CNRS, AgroParisTech, Ecologie Systématique Evolution, Gif-sur-Yvette, France
- Great Lakes Forestry Centre at Canadian Forestry Services, part of Natural Resources Canada, Sault Ste Marie, Ontario, Canada
| | - Emma J Hudgins
- Department of Biology at Carleton University, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
| | - Chunlong Liu
- College of Fisheries at the Ocean University of China, Qingdao, China
- Institute of Hydrobiology at the Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan, China
| | - Showkat A Gojery
- Department of Botany at the University of Kashmir, Kashmir, India
| | - Ugo Arbieu
- Université Paris–Saclay, CNRS, AgroParisTech, Ecologie Systématique Evolution, Gif-sur-Yvette, France
- Senckenberg Biodiversity and Climate Research Centre, Frankfurt am Main, Germany
- Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute, at the National Zoological Park, Front Royal, Virginia, United States
| | - Christophe Diagne
- Centre de Biologie pour la Gestion des Populations, at Institut de Recherche pour le Développement, Montferrier-sur-Lez Cedex, France
| | - Boris Leroy
- Unité Biologie des Organismes et des Ecosystèmes Aquatiques, Muséum National d’Histoire Naturelle, Sorbonne Universités, Université de Caen Normandie, Université des Antilles, in Paris, France
| | | | - Corey J A Bradshaw
- Global Ecology Laboratory, Partuyarta Ngadluku Wardli Kuu, College of Science and Engineering, Flinders University, Adelaide, South Australia
- ARC Centre of Excellence for Australian Biodiversity and Heritage, Wollongong, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Franck Courchamp
- Université Paris–Saclay, CNRS, AgroParisTech, Ecologie Systématique Evolution, Gif-sur-Yvette, France
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Guiaşu RC, Tindale CW. Logical fallacies persist in invasion biology and blaming the messengers will not improve accountability in this field: a response to Frank et al. BIOLOGY & PHILOSOPHY 2023; 38:3. [PMID: 36683876 PMCID: PMC9845828 DOI: 10.1007/s10539-023-09892-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/04/2022] [Accepted: 01/06/2023] [Indexed: 06/17/2023]
Abstract
We analyze the "Logical fallacies and reasonable debates in invasion biology: a response to Guiaşu and Tindale" article by Frank et al., and also discuss this work in the context of recent intense debates in invasion biology, and reactions by leading invasion biologists to critics of aspects of their field. While we acknowledge the attempt by Frank et al., at least in the second half of their paper, to take into account more diverse points of view about non-native species and their complex roles in ecosystems, we also find the accusations of misrepresenting invasion biology, for instance by "cherry-picking" and "constructing 'straw people'", directed at the Guiaşu and Tindale study to be unwarranted. Despite the sometimes harsh responses by leading invasion biologists to critics of their field, we believe that persistent and fundamental problems remain in invasion biology, and we discuss some of these problems in this article. Failing to recognize these problems, and simply dismissing or minimizing legitimate criticisms, will not advance the cause, or enhance the general appeal, of invasion biology and will prevent meaningful progress in understanding the multiple contributions non-native species can bring to various ecosystems worldwide. We recommend taking a more open-minded and pragmatic approach towards non-native species and the novel ecosystems they are an integral part of.
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Affiliation(s)
- Radu Cornel Guiaşu
- Biology Program, Glendon College, York University, 2275 Bayview Avenue, Toronto, ON M4N 3M6 Canada
| | - Christopher W. Tindale
- Department of Philosophy, University of Windsor, 401 Sunset Ave., Windsor, ON N9B 3P4 Canada
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Sax DF, Schlaepfer MA, Olden JD. Valuing the contributions of non-native species to people and nature. Trends Ecol Evol 2022; 37:1058-1066. [PMID: 36210286 DOI: 10.1016/j.tree.2022.08.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/07/2022] [Revised: 08/12/2022] [Accepted: 08/17/2022] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
While decision-making can benefit from considering positive and negative outcomes of change, over the past half-century, research on non-native species has focused predominately on their negative impacts. Here we provide a framework for considering the positive consequences of non-native species relative to relational, instrumental, and intrinsic values. We demonstrate that their beneficial outcomes are common and profoundly important for human well-being. Identified benefits include social cohesion, cultural identity, mental health, food and fuel production, regulation of clean waters, and attenuation of climate change. We argue that long-standing biases against non-native species within the literature have clouded the scientific process and hampered policy advances and sound public understanding. Future research should consider both costs and benefits of non-native species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dov F Sax
- Institute at Brown for Environment and Society & Department of Ecology, Evolution and Organismal Biology, Brown University, Providence, RI, USA.
| | - Martin A Schlaepfer
- Institute of Environmental Sciences, University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Julian D Olden
- School of Aquatic and Fishery Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
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Karatayev AY, Burlakova LE. What we know and don't know about the invasive zebra ( Dreissena polymorpha) and quagga ( Dreissena rostriformis bugensis) mussels. HYDROBIOLOGIA 2022:1-74. [PMID: 36258710 PMCID: PMC9559155 DOI: 10.1007/s10750-022-04950-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/25/2022] [Revised: 07/01/2022] [Accepted: 07/08/2022] [Indexed: 06/02/2023]
Abstract
We summarized existing knowledge on Dreissena polymorpha (the zebra mussel) and D. r. bugensis (the quagga mussel), including data on their taxonomy, systematics, evolution, life cycle, reproduction, feeding, growth and longevity, population dynamics, interspecific competition, habitat requirements, and distribution within and among waterbodies. We analyzed the history of spread of both species and the major pathways and vectors of their spread in Europe and North America. Special consideration was given to their ecological and economic impacts and their natural enemies, like waterfowl, fishes, and parasites, as well as the prevention of their introduction, early detection, control, and containment. We also outlined the most salient ecosystem services provided by zebra and quagga mussels, including water purification, nutrient recycling, culling the effects of eutrophication, biomonitoring, and their role as a food resource for fish and waterfowl. Finally, we identified major knowledge gaps and key studies needed to better understand the biology, ecology, and impacts of these aggressive freshwater invaders. Our review indicates that much crucial information on the quagga mussel is still missing, including key life history parameters, like spawning cues, fecundity, and longevity, particularly for the profundal zone of deep lakes.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Lyubov E. Burlakova
- Great Lakes Center, SUNY Buffalo State, 1300 Elmwood Avenue, Buffalo, NY 14222 USA
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Burlakova LE, Karatayev AY, Boltovskoy D, Correa NM. Ecosystem services provided by the exotic bivalves Dreissena polymorpha, D. rostriformis bugensis, and Limnoperna fortunei. HYDROBIOLOGIA 2022; 850:2811-2854. [PMID: 35990416 PMCID: PMC9376586 DOI: 10.1007/s10750-022-04935-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/25/2022] [Revised: 06/15/2022] [Accepted: 06/25/2022] [Indexed: 06/02/2023]
Abstract
The ecosystem services approach to conservation is becoming central to environmental policy decision making. While many negative biological invasion-driven impacts on ecosystem structure and functioning have been identified, much less was done to evaluate their ecosystem services. In this paper, we focus on the often-overlooked ecosystem services provided by three notable exotic ecosystem engineering bivalves, the zebra mussel, the quagga mussel, and the golden mussel. One of the most significant benefits of invasive bivalves is water filtration, which results in water purification and changes rates of nutrient cycling, thus mitigating the effects of eutrophication. Mussels are widely used as sentinel organisms for the assessment and biomonitoring of contaminants and pathogens and are consumed by many fishes and birds. Benefits of invasive bivalves are particularly relevant in human-modified ecosystems. We summarize the multiple ecosystem services provided by invasive bivalves and recommend including the economically quantifiable services in the assessments of their economic impacts. We also highlight important ecosystem disservices by exotic bivalves, identify data limitations, and future research directions. This assessment should not be interpreted as a rejection of the fact that invasive mussels have negative impacts, but as an attempt to provide additional information for scientists, managers, and policymakers.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Demetrio Boltovskoy
- IEGEBA, Instituto de Ecología, Genética y Evolución, Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales - Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas, Universidad de Buenos Aires, Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Nancy M. Correa
- Servicio de Hidrografía Naval and Escuela de Ciencias del Mar, Facultad de la Armada, Sede Educativa Universitaria, UNDEF, Buenos Aires, Argentina
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Sîrbu I, Benedek AM, Brown BL, Sîrbu M. Disentangling structural and functional responses of native versus alien communities by canonical ordination analyses and variation partitioning with multiple matrices. Sci Rep 2022; 12:12813. [PMID: 35896765 PMCID: PMC9329446 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-022-16860-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/10/2022] [Accepted: 07/18/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Freshwaters are under accelerated human pressure, and mollusk communities are among its most sensitive, threatened, and valuable components. To the best of our knowledge, the overall effects of damming, environment, space, time, and invasive alien mollusk species, on structural and functional responses of native mollusk communities were not yet compared. Using historical information and recent data from a river, we aimed to investigate and disentangle these effects and evaluate the differences in structural and functional responses of natives and alien invasives to the same predictors. Variation partitioning showed that alien species were as important predictors as were environmental factors and time in explaining species composition of native freshwater mollusk communities. Aliens were more independent of environmental conditions than natives and responded to different drivers, partially explaining their invasion success. The increased abundance of some alien gastropods was positively related to taxonomic diversity, while certain alien bivalves were negatively associated with the functional diversity of native communities. We introduce a cumulative variation partitioning with multiple response (native and alien) and predictor matrices, along with a diagram to show their relations, advocating for a conceptual shift in future community ecology, from “variables to matrices” and from “multivariate analyses to multi-matrix statistical modeling”.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ioan Sîrbu
- Faculty of Sciences, Lucian Blaga University of Sibiu, 5-7 Dr. I. Raţiu St., 550012, Sibiu, Romania.
| | - Ana-Maria Benedek
- Faculty of Sciences, Lucian Blaga University of Sibiu, 5-7 Dr. I. Raţiu St., 550012, Sibiu, Romania
| | - Bryan L Brown
- Department of Biological Sciences, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, Blacksburg, VA, 24060, USA
| | - Monica Sîrbu
- Andrei Şaguna Pedagogical National College, 2 Turnu Roşu St., Hipodrom, Sibiu, Romania
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