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The research group Freshwater Ecology and Management (FEM) specializes in the study of the ecology of freshwater ecosystems are lakes, ponds, reservoirs and rivers, and the application of these studies in their conservation and management. Two main lines of action are the study of biodiversity and use of aquatic macroinvertebrates as bioindicators of ecological status. The group was founded in 1978 with the first studies that Dr. Narcís Prat turned into rivers of Andorra. In 2005, the research group was recognized by the Government of Catalonia with its current name.

The group has an extensive research activities at the local, provincial, regional, national and international. The updated list of projects can be found in the Research section of our website. Our studies vary in duration, from specific studies to analyze the effects of pollution at a given point of a river, until long-term studies of biodiversity and the ecological quality of rivers in Barcelona since 1979 and continuously since 1995 (and http://ecobill.diba.cat/ http://www.ub.edu/fem/index.php/ca/ecostrimed-2012). We have worked both in Catalonia and Spain and around the world, and in recent years we have done several studies on the ecology and management of rivers in the Andes (Chile, Peru, Ecuador and Colombia) for which we designed a specific website (http://www.ub.edu/riosandes/).

Part of our work focuses on the dissemination and transfer of knowledge to society. In addition to producing protocols for the study of rivers, many works have popularization of our activities and also advertised through social networks. We are also working on the application of new technologies in participatory management of water to which we have devoted too much effort.

Finally, another very important aspect for us is training. Group members have directed over 20 doctoral theses and dissertations largest number of projects to final, master's theses and other works. Every year we have between two and five students who do internships with us, including Erasmus students who visit us. Also have regular contact with the authorities, companies and research centers where our students, PhD students and doctors work, and many of them collaborate regularly.

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