Many freshwater non‐indigenous species (NISs) are stocked for recreational fishing, in some cases illegally in protected areas. In this study, fish communities were monitored using environmental DNA, electrofishing and anglers’ catches as the sources of samples in a mountainous Biosphere Reserve in Asturias (northern Spain), where stocking is forbidden. Three NISs have been introduced illegally in the protected area and have shown increasing populations in the last two decades. Two species used as fishing bait, Squalius carolitertii (chub) and Phoxinus phoxinus (minnow), are expanding in running waters. Oncorhynchus mykiss (rainbow trout) was also detected and is likely to have been introduced for angling or from fish farm escapes. The results suggest that sustained illegal stocking contributed to the increase of the three NISs. In contrast, Salmo trutta (brown trout) of northern European lineages, identified from *90 alleles at the LDH‐C1 locus, and formerly legally stocked for angling, is decreasing, most likely as a result of climate change. Climate change could also contribute to the expansion of the two non‐indigenous cyprinids to colder upstream areas. Through the application of a social survey, it was found that unlike other population groups, anglers in the region significantly preferred stocking over environmental improvement for the management of fish populations. The results obtained suggest that raising the awareness of anglers about the importance of safeguarding native fish species could help to prevent the spread of NISs in protected areas.

River barriers affect river dynamics and aquatic biota, altering the entire ecosystem. Nevertheless, dams and reservoirs provide goods like water supply and low-carbon energy that are becoming increasingly critical under current climate change. To know to what extent dams and reservoirs are important to the population, we explored social attitudes towards dams and reservoirs using a face-to-face questionnaire in two regions of contrasting climate and water security in Spain, a country with one of highest densities of dams in Europe. Results (N = 613) revealed a higher support for dams, mediated by the recognition of the services they provide, in the drier Mediterranean Malaga province (Andalusia), than in the wetter Atlantic Asturias province (Bay of Biscay), where water shortages are rare. Awareness of the impacts of the dams was more pronounced in Malaga, coupled with a higher willingness to pay for reconnecting rivers. Social awareness of both impacts and services provided by dams and reservoirs may depend on local climate and water security; different dam acceptance emphasizes the need to involve local citizens in the decision-making processes about water management.

The social value of natural aquatic ecosystems is very important to set management priorities. River connectivity is essential for the conservation of freshwater ecosystems because barriers alter both abiotic conditions and the biotic communities, compromising biodiversity; however, the appreciation of this river feature has been insufficiently considered in socio-environmental studies that are mainly focused on the acceptance of new dams. Here we used a willingness to pay approach to estimate the value of connectivity, native species, fish diversity (measured as functional diversity or as species richness), fish abundance and environmental quality in three groups of students of different educational background in Asturias (NW of Spain). As in other studies where they are more sensitive to environmental issues, educational sciences students would pay more to conserve and improve river conditions than students of other disciplines. Connectivity was the least valued river feature by students of educational and natural sciences, and the third (before biodiversity and fish abundance) by engineering students. We measured the same features on lowland reaches of four coastal rivers in the Bay of Biscay, and applied declared will amounts to model their appreciation. Differences between the river ranks obtained from functional diversity (that changes with non-native species) and species richness, and small differences between students of different disciplines in the gap between most and least preferred rivers arise from the model. This indicates the importance to involve diverse stakeholder sectors in decisions about rivers. The importance of river connectivity in the conservation of local biodiversity should be explained to general public, perhaps through environmental campaigns.

Incorporar al ámbito educativo los recursos naturales del entorno de vida y los dispositivos móviles presentes en el contexto cotidiano de los y las estudiantes a través de experiencias didácticas activas y participativas, favorece la motivación del alumnado. Estás dinámicas educativas facilitan aprendizajes significativos junto con actitudes y valores que contribuyen al desarrollo sostenible. Este trabajo presenta evidencias pedagógicas sobre como una actividad complementaria desarrollada en los espacios naturales de los entornos inmediatos de estudiantes de Educación Secundaria Obligatoria de dos centros educativos de Asturias (España), junto a la incorporación de los teléfonos móviles inteligentes, empleados como recurso didáctico, les proporcionan ganancias de aprendizaje y fomentan su conocimiento y el interés por la protección de la flora y fauna de los ecosistemas en los que viven. Aunque no es muy popular la utilización del teléfono móvil en estas etapas educativas, la disponibilidad de uso y la facilidad de aplicación permitió recoger información medioambiental directamente por los y las estudiantes y geolocalizar las especies autóctonas y alóctonas que pueblan los entornos naturales inmediatos del alumnado de ambos centros. El objetivo pedagógico perseguido fue vincular a estos jóvenes con la sostenibilidad ambiental de su entorno de vida. Palabras clave: herramientas didácticas; dispositivos digitales; actividades complementarias, entorno natural; currículo flexible.

Under current climate warming, dams and reservoirs are main options to ensure water supply in dry regions. However, the presence of these infrastructures encompasses impacts on ecosystem due to the alteration of connectivity and river habitat. We expect that as a result of the relation between water supply as a resource and the population will depend on their use or demand, so the benefits of dams compensate their negative impacts in regions with droughts while not having the same perception in zones where water supply is not a problem, so the public acceptance of dams is expected to change depending on the area. Here, we have employed a multidisciplinary approach to study dam acceptance and also measure ecosystem health in two dammed areas, Guadalhorce and Nalón rivers, Mediterranean dry south and Atlantic humid north of Spain, respectively. The methodology employed has included the use of Environmental DNA for phytoplankton inventory and surveys to stakeholders and ordinary citizens to measure dam’s acceptance. Worse bioindicators of water quality associated to dams were found in Guadalhorce than in Nalon River. However, stakeholders valued more the ecosystem services provided by Guadalhorce dams, especially of cultural nature, than those provided by Nalón dams. Most citizens consulted (N = 319 and 300 in Guadalhorce and Nalón regions) were favourable to the presence of dams and reservoirs. They would also increase their annual taxes to restore river connectivity, especially in Guadalhorce River, while dam demolition was the least supported. The generally positive views would help to identify actions for improvement of dammed rivers highlighting the importance of restoring river connectivity without dam demolition for local river users.