Sánchez Fernández, DavidBaquero, Rocío A.Velasco, LuisAranda, AntonioNicola, Graciela G.2025-12-112025-12-112021-02-08Sánchez-Fernández, D., Baquero, R. A., Velasco, L., Aranda, A., & Nicola, G. G. (2021). Assessing the role of the aquatic Natura 2000 network to protect both freshwater European species of community interest and threatened species in a Mediterranean region. Aquatic Conservation: Marine and Freshwater Ecosystems, 31(7), 1901-1911. https://doi.org/10.1002/AQC.35401052-761310.1002/aqc.3540https://hdl.handle.net/20.500.14352/128736DS-F has received funding from the University of Murcia (Plan Propio de Investigación). We thank the regional government of Castilla–La Mancha for assistance in the revision and data recording processes. We also thank Dr Tristan Hatton-Ellis (Natural Resources Wales) and another anonymous reviewer for their constructive comments.The European Natura 2000 (N2K) network of protected areas stands out as the main conservation strategy in the European Union to preserve biodiversity under the auspices of the Convention on Biological Diversity. The management of N2K sites is mainly focused on protecting the biological elements as Special Areas of Conservation for habitats or species listed in the European Habitats Directive, or as Special Protection Areas for birds listed in the European Birds Directive for which the site was designated. It seems urgent, therefore, to discriminate which N2K sites are really providing effective protection for aquatic biodiversity. Although the main objective of N2K is to protect species listed in the Birds and Habitats Directives, the conservation status of threatened species included in the European Red List of the IUCN must also be a concern for the European Union. Focusing on Central Spain as a case study, the aim of this work was to evaluate how far aquatic N2K (i.e. N2K sites designated for the occurrence of freshwater elements) is effective in protecting both those aquatic species in the Directives [referred to here as Species of Community Importance (SCI) and threatened species (TS)]. Most of the N2K sites in the study area have been designated using aquatic elements, which means that N2K could theoretically provide appropriate mechanisms to preserve aquatic biodiversity. However, N2K provides a low percentage of overlap with some of the hotspots identified for both TS and SCI. Surprisingly, TS are in general similarly or even better represented than SCI by N2K. N2K may provide good coverage for aquatic biodiversity, mainly by acting as an umbrella for other species, but it could be improved by addressing some spatial gaps, thereby making it more relevant to current challenges such as climate change and other human impacts.engjournal article1099-0755https://doi.org/10.1002/aqc.3540https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/aqc.3540restricted access574.3574.5591.5502.14061.1UEAquatic ecosystemsConservation planningIberian PeninsulaProtected areasSpecies of community interestFreshwater biodiversityEcología (Biología)HidrologíaBiología marinaPolítica europea de medio ambiente2401.06 Ecología Animal2508.05 Hidrobiología2401.19 Zoología Marina3105.12 Ordenación y Conservación de la Fauna Silvestre