Scavenging bird of prey have been abundant throughout the Mediterranean region for years, establishing a food acquisition relationship with human activities, their characteristics make them especially suitable for the recognition of dangerous environmental conditions. The West Nile Virus (WNV) considered the most widespread arbovirus has been previously discovered in our 3 species of studio. The analyses from feather follicles and serum samples obtain from different regions in Spain shown a higher seroprevalence against West Nile virus or cross-reacting flaviviruses in the northern part of the country and in the Canary archipelago. Our results showed a general seroprevalence of 19.8% (34 out of 172), a prevalence of 19,8% in Egyptian vultures, a prevalence of 27.1% (13 out of 48) in Griffon vultures and no prevalence in Cinereous vultures. Differences were observed for the body condition off Griffon and Egyptian vultures when anthropized and not anthropized areas were compared, being significantly worse in anthropized areas for Griffon vultures and significantly better for Egyptian vultures. The exposure to the virus of the nestlings increased with the age, showing a higher tend in Egyptian vultures than in Griffon vultures. Our results confirm the circulation and a higher seroprevalence of West Nile virus or cross-reacting flaviviruses than in previous studies.

No description available.

Gas detection is vital in different fields including environmental applications, clinical analysis, and homeland security. To perform these tasks the sensors need to be stable, sensitive, selective, operating at room temperature, rapidly responding, and easy to regenerate. On the other hand, most chemical sensors often suffer from a lack of selectivity, i.e., reacting more or less similarly to a collection of substances. As a result, these sensors may lead to false alerts. Even worse, the molecules to be detected could be masked by some interfering compounds which may result in failure to detect the targets. The goal of this research is to develop a portable gas-sensing device that integrates a zeolite/dye unit with an optoelectronic detector. At nano-scale the sensor is expected to be more accurate, more sensitive, and can better differentiate and detect one chemical component in a mixture of different gases. This could be achieved by incorporating fluorescent dyes into the zeolites' cavities, measuring gas absorption, desorption and photo-chromic interaction of dye and gases, interfacing the zeolite/dye sensor arrays with light source and electronic detectors and fully integrating the sensor arrays into a portable unit. This research addresses many of the above-sated threads. The highly fluorescent organic dye, nile red, was successfully included in the supercages of different zeolites Y (ammonium Y, hydrogen Y, and sodium Y) via chemical reaction. The research also developed an effective method to clean the synthesized inclusions, which is a combination of ultrasound and centrifuge. The cleaned inclusions were baked to remove any gases and/or moisture trapped inside the zeolites' structure. The spectra of the baked inclusions were used as references. The cleaned inclusions were optically characterized in terms of light absorption and fluorescence emission. When exposed to acetone, ethanol, methanol, and de-ionized water, the fluorescence emission spectra of zeolite-sodium-Y/nile-red inclusion showed a similar spectral shift compared to the reference spectrum. On the other hand, the fluorescence emission spectra of zeolite-hydrogen-Y/nile-red inclusion and zeolite-ammonium-Y/nile-red inclusion showed different spectral shifts compared to the reference spectra. This shows the successful proof of encapsulating the nile red dye in zeolites Y's cages, cleaning the zeolite/nile-red combinations, and measuring the desorption and fluorescence emission of the combinations. The optical characteristics of the nile red adsorbing to the external surface of the zeolites Y were studied as well. The research also included the design of the optical system to excite the sensing elements (zeolite/nile-red inclusions), and to collect the fluorescence response, the design and simulation of electronic circuits to condition and process electrical signal, and overall design of an integrated gas detector onto a pressed ceramic optical bench. / Electrical and Computer Engineering

With World Health Organization estimation of population increase to over 9 billion by 2050, malnutrition and food insecurity are predicated to be two of the main challenges facing the world in the future. Fish is a source of protein that can have a significant contribution for solving the global food crisis. Fish for human consumption is provided by both the aquaculture industry and the capture fisheries, however, the flat-lined production of seafood from capture fisheries means aquaculture production should double in number to provide enough protein by 2050. Culturing fish at higher densities is being used as a way to increase the global aquaculture production. Modern aquaculture intensified practices expose the fish to various stressors that can negatively impact their welfare. Good nutrition can improve the health status of aquacultured fish while accumulation of specific nutrient can add value to the fillet. In line with that, the studies described in this dissertation aimed to examine the vital role of fish in human health and evaluate strategies to improve the sustainable aquaculture production of fish using novel aquafeeds. This was completed by conducting a survey of the essential minerals and heavy metals of commercially available catfish, salmon, and tilapia fillets in the United States marketplace and three fish nutritional trials to evaluate the impacts of novel aquafeeds on production and health of fish and the food quality of their respective fillets. Selenium with the established health benefit for human and fish was the trace mineral of interest in this dissertation. This element is the main component of a group of selenium containing proteins called selenoproteins that are antioxidant and maintain oxidative homeostasis of fish and human. Additionally, selenium is an antagonist for many heavy metals such as mercury. The market study revealed that catfish, salmon and tilapia samples available in United States marketplace are good source of selenium, zinc and phosphorous. The concentration of heavy metals in all the samples were lower than safety standards. Nile tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus) and rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss), which are two economically important aquacultured fish, were used as animal models in the fish nutritional trials. Different forms of selenium supplemented to Nile tilapia diet. The form of Dietary Se form did not have any significant (p>0.05) effect on growth, and plasma and hepatic GPX activity of Nile tilapia. However, organic selenium supplement showed significantly (p<0.05) higher bioavailability and accumulated in the fillets at the significantly higher concentration. In the second fish trial selenoneine, a novel selenium containing compound, was supplemented at various concentrations to rainbow trout diet. Other than growth parameters multiple other health biomarkers (lysozyme, glutathione peroxidase, superoxide dismutase activities) were examined to determine whether selenoneine supplementation had a positive impact on fish health. Selenoneine enriched diet significantly(p<0.05) increased the weight gain, lysozyme and oxidative enzymes activities of rainbow trout. Lastly rainbow trout feed was supplemented with commercially available probiotic (Actisaf®), prebiotic (Safmmann®), and their mixture (synbiotic). These dietary supplements did not have any significant effect on fish production but led to a significant increase in activity of oxidative enzymes in plasma when compared to control diet. These results suggest that feed supplements used in this dissertation can be used to promote the fish health raised in recirculating aquaculture systems and support an economically and environmentally sustainable aquaculture. / PHD / Fish contributes significantly to human’s diet in terms of high quality, easily digestible animal protein that helps fight malnutrition and food insecurity. More than half of the fish for human consumption is produced by the aquaculture industry and the growth of the industry is very critical for meeting the future needs for protein. Other than production of high-quality protein the aquaculture industry has made a great contribution to people’s livelihood, poverty alleviation, income generation, employment and, trade globally. To continue contributing effectively to global food security aquaculture industry should overcome various obstacles such as disease and sustainable production of high-quality feed. In this dissertation, important roles of fish in human diet was examined by measuring the mineral composition of commercially available catfish, salmon and tilapia in the United States market place. Also diets of Nile tilapia and rainbow trout were supplemented with various forms of selenium, prebiotics, and/or probiotics which have positive effect on health of both human and fish. These supplementations led to production of valued-added fish fillets enriched in selenium and improved the fish growth and health.

Mosquito-borne viruses, including dengue virus (DENV), Usutu virus (USUV), West Nile virus (WNV), and Japanese encephalitis virus (JEV), are rapidly emerging, global pathogens. Though the number of people impacted by each virus varies, there have been thousands to millions of people infected. The focus of this thesis work centers around USUV and WNV; both have RNA genomes and belong to the Flaviviridae virus family. Both WNV and USUV were initially isolated in Africa and have since spread to Europe; interestingly, WNV has also spread globally and is considered endemic in the Americas. Similar to other flaviviruses, USUV and WNV are maintained in a mosquito vector-avian host transmission cycle, with spillover infection into humans. Human infections of WNV and USUV are usually asymptomatic, but in severe cases can cause neuroinvasive disease. WNV and USUV belong to the JEV serocomplex group, which indicates that antibodies produced against these viruses share a common antigen; the common antigen is hypothesized to be the envelope (E) protein on the outside of the virion. Neutralizing antibodies against both WNV and USUV have been found in birds and humans across Europe. In vitro cross-neutralization of WNV and USUV has been modeled experimentally and been observed in clinical settings. The neutralizing antibody response generated against WNV has been studied extensively in mouse models; however, there are few studies which examine the neutralizing antibody response generated against USUV. Whether prior WNV exposure protects against USUV disease is also unknown. The main goal of this thesis was to characterize how a primary flavivirus exposure would influence a secondary flavivirus exposure; specifically, we wanted to observe if WNV exposure would protect against USUV disease in vivo and generate a cross-neutralizing antibody response in vitro. For the WNV exposure, we used an attenuated vaccine strain of WNV that contains the WNV E gene (D2/WN-V3) developed by our collaborators. We hypothesized that treatment with D2/WN-V3 would protect against USUV infection. Two in vivo models were used: CD-1 mice and interferon alpha-beta receptor 1 deficient (Ifnar1-/-) mice. We discovered that sera from mice vaccinated with D2/WN-V3 neutralized both WNV and USUV in vitro. In the Ifnar1-/- model, we observed that vaccinated mice had higher survival rates and lower USUV viremia levels after USUV challenge. This work helps characterize the consequences of flavivirus antibody cross-neutralization in vitro and cross-protection in vivo. As the flavivirus field moves toward the goal of creating a pan-flavivirus vaccine, both cross-reactive antibodies and cross-protection need to be considered. / Master of Science / West Nile virus (WNV) and Usutu virus (USUV) are mosquito-borne viruses that were originally isolated in Africa during the 20th century. Both viruses are maintained through a transmission cycle between mosquito vectors and avian hosts. Mosquitos transfer the infectious agent (WNV or USUV) through feeding on a bird (usually a passerine species); once in the bird, the virus can replicate to high levels. Human infections of WNV and USUV from mosquitos can also occur, with symptoms ranging from mild febrile illness to severe encephalitis or meningitis. Over the past few decades, WNV and USUV have spread to Europe, most likely through infected migratory birds. Interestingly, mosquito surveillance studies in mainland Europe have found mosquitos that tested positive for both USUV and WNV. In Europe, antibodies for both viruses have been found in humans and birds, indicating a previous exposure to WNV, USUV, or both. The neutralizing antibody response is a critical immune defense against viral infections. Neutralizing antibodies bind strongly to the outside of the virion (virus particle), preventing the virion from interacting with and infecting the host cell. For WNV and USUV, one of the targets that neutralizing antibodies bind to is the outer envelope (E) protein of the virion. In clinical settings and experimental studies, cross-neutralization of WNV and USUV has been documented. During cross-neutralization, a serum sample containing neutralizing antibodies against WNV can also neutralize USUV, and vice versa. Although the neutralizing response against WNV has been characterized in humans and lab animal models such as mice, there is little research regarding the neutralizing response against USUV. Importantly, whether prior WNV exposure provides protection against USUV infection is currently unknown. The main goal of this thesis was to characterize the disease outcome and neutralizing response against USUV after a WNV exposure. For the WNV exposure, we used a vaccine strain of WNV that contains the E gene (D2/WN-V3) developed by our collaborators. We predicted that vaccinated mice would avoid USUV clinical signs of disease and generate neutralizing responses to WNV and USUV. To do this work, we used two laboratory mouse models: mice with an intact immune response system (CD-1) and mice with a stunted immune response (Ifnar1-/-). We discovered that serum from vaccinated mice did cross-neutralize WNV and USUV. In the Ifnar1-/- model, vaccinated mice had higher survival rates and lower levels of virus in blood after USUV infection compared to unvaccinated mice. Ultimately, this work highlights the importance of characterizing the immune response against similar viruses and will inform the development of human vaccines for both viruses.

All-male fry are preferred to prevent uncontrolled reproduction before harvest in intensive Nile tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus) aquaculture. Males also grow faster than females. An alternative approach to direct hormonal masculinisation of tilapia fry is to produce fry that are genetically male. However, sex determination system in tilapia is fairly complex. Recent developments have resulted in a linkage map and genetic markers that can be used to analyse the sex determination system. To analyse the genetic sex determination mechanism and to develop marker-assisted selection in the Stirling Nile tilapia population, a fully inbred line of clonal females (XX) was verified using test crosses and DNA markers (mostly microsatellites) to use as a standard reference line in sex determination studies. A series of crosses were performed involving this line of females and a range of males. Three groups of crosses were selected (each group consisted of three families) from progeny sex ratio distributions, and designated as type ‘A’ (normal XY males x clonal XX females), type ‘B’ (putative YY males x clonal XX females) and type ‘C’ (unknown groups of males x clonal XX females), for sex linkage study. For type ‘A’, inheritance of DNA markers and phenotypic sex was investigated using screened markers from tilapia linkage group 1 (LG1) to confirm the LG1-associated pattern of inheritance of phenotypic sex and the structure of LG1. Screened markers from LG1, LG3 and LG23 were used to investigate the association of markers with sex in families of type ‘B’ and ‘C’. In addition, a genome-wide scan of markers from the other 21 LGs was performed to investigate any association between markers and sex, in only families of cross type ‘B’. LG1 associated pattern of inheritance of phenotypic sex was confirmed by genotype and QTL analyses in families of cross type ‘A’. Analyses of genotypes in families of type ‘B’ and ‘C’ showed strong association with LG1 markers but no association with LG3 and LG23 markers. Genome wide scan of markers from all other LGs did not show any significant association between any markers and the sex. The allelic inheritance of two tightly linked LG1 markers (UNH995 and UNH104) in families of type ‘B’ and ‘C’ identified polymorphism in the sex determining locus: one of the alleles was associated mostly with male offspring whereas another allele was associated with both progeny (mostly males in type ‘B’ families, and approximately equal numbers in type ‘C’ families). This knowledge was used to identify and separate supermales (‘YY’ males) that should sire higher proportions of male progeny, reared to become sexually mature for use as broodstock. Two of them were crossed with XX females (one clonal and one outbred) to observe the phenotypic expression of the strongest male-associated allele in progeny sex. The observations of 98% male (99 males out of 101 progeny) and 100% male (N=75) from these two crosses respectively, suggest that a marker-assisted selection (MAS) programme for genetically male Nile tilapia production could be practical. This study also suggests that the departures from the sex ratios predicted using a “simple” XX/XY model (i.e., YY x XX should give all-male progeny) were strongly associated with the XX/XY system, due to multiple alleles, rather than being associated with loci in other LGs (e.g., LG3, LG23). This study also tentatively names the allele(s) giving intermediate sex ratios as “ambivalent” and emphasizes that the presence and actions of such allele(s) at the same sex-determining locus could explain departures from predicted sex ratios observed in some earlier studies in Nile tilapia.

Objective: The purpose of this investigation was to describe the long-term effects and functional outcomes of patients in Virginia who were reported to the Virginia Department of Health with West Nile virus (WNV) non-neuroinvasive and neuroinvasive disease. The study identified the duration of symptoms after initial illness, the number of persons who fully recovered versus the number who continue to be symptomatic and how patients' quality of life differed after illness.Methods: The study population was drawn from 60 human cases that met the surveillance case definition for non-neuroinvasive and neuroinvasive WNV illness in Virginia between 2002-2004. Information was collected during personal interviews using a standard questionnaire. The questionnaire included questions on demographics, clinical signs and symptoms, existing medical conditions and the respondents' personal assessment of health. Statistical analysis were used to compare pre and post illness symptoms, respondents vs. non-respondents, and non-neuroinvasive respondents vs. neuroinvasive respondents. Results: Thirty-four patients were enrolled in the study. Five (14.7%) respondents had non-neuroinvasive disease and 29 (85.2%) had neuroinvasive disease. Thirty respondents (88.2%) reported being hospitalized. Respondents with non-neuroinvasive disease spent a median of 3.5 (range, 0-7) days in the hospital and were unable to resume normal activities for a median of 17 (range, 7-365) days. Respondents with neuroinvasive disease spent a median of 7.5 (range, 0-82) days in the hospital and were unable to resume normal activities for a median of 127.50 days (range, 0-1023). Two (40%) of the respondents that suffer from non-neuroinvasive illness were unable to resume normal activities for at least 90 days. Fifteen (51.7%) respondents with neuroinvasive disease were unable to resume normal activities for at least 90 days. At the time of the interview, 20% of respondents with non-neuroinvasive disease reported fatigue, tremors, arthralgia, paralysis and memory problems. Respondents with neuroinvasive disease reported fatigue (58.5%), weakness (51.7%), myalgias (37.9%), confusion (41.4%), and memory loss (55.2%). Conclusion: WNV illness, including non-neuroinvasive illness, may be more serious and prolonged than generally thought. Neuroinvasive disease resulted in long-term morbidity and non-neuroinvasive disease resulted in work absenteeism and extended recovery periods. The mortality rates and potential long-term effects associated with non-neuroinvasive and neuroinvasive illness emphasizes the importance of continuing to develop effective methods of targeting preventive education to high-risk populations while continuing to pursue longer-term solutions such as vaccines to prevent emerging infection. Further research is needed to document the long-term effects of WNV, especially in areas with a high number of WNV human cases with more non-neuroinvasive patients. WNV is an emerging infectious disease with a wide clinical spectrum and variable long-term effects; thus a public health concern.

L'émergence de maladies telles que le SRAS et le SIDA au cours des dernières décennies a fait prendre conscience des liens étroits existant entre santé animale, santé humaine et santé des écosystèmes. En effet, les pathogènes émergents ont pour la plupart une origine zoonotique (i.e. ils circulaient à l'origine au sein des populations animales). Les risques sanitaires associés à ces émergences sont en constante évolution sous l'influence des changements globaux qui modifient les écosystèmes et les contacts entre les hôtes. La prévention et le contrôle des maladies infectieuses émergentes nécessitent la compréhension de leur dynamique dans l'ensemble des compartiments dans lesquels elles circulent. Le travail présenté ici avait pour objectif d'améliorer cette compréhension au sein des zones humides méditerranéennes en ce concentrant sur deux pathogènes émergents : les virus Influenza A (VIA) et le virus West Nile. Il a été structuré selon trois axes de recherche : i) Utiliser la surveillance épidémiologique de l'avifaune sauvage pour comprendre la circulation du virus West Nile dans le bassin méditerranéen ii) Comprendre la dynamique des VIA au sein des différents compartiments où ils circulent et à leur interface iii) Comprendre le rôle des conditions environnementales dans la dynamique des VIA notamment au sein des populations humaines. Nos résultats mettent en évidence l'intérêt de mener des études multidisciplinaires sur le long terme pour comprendre l'épidémiologie des maladies émergentes. Ils soulignent également le rôle des activités anthropiques et des conditions environnementales dans la dynamique de ces maladies. Nos études apportent des éléments de réflexion pour allier gestion des risques d'émergence et gestion des écosystèmes et des populations. Elles encouragent à développer ce type d'approche afin de relever le défi de la prévention et du contrôle des pathogènes émergents. / During the last decades, the emergence of numerous infectious diseases such as SARS and AIDS has raised awareness of the close links that exist between animal health, human health and ecosystem health. Many of the emerging pathogens have a zoonotic origin (i.e. they originally circulated among animal populations). The health risks associated with the emergence of these diseases are progressing under the influence of global changes that affect ecosystems and contacts between hosts. The prevention and control of emerging infectious diseases require an in-depth understanding of their dynamics in all the compartments in which they occur. The aim of the present work is to improve our understanding of these phenomena within the context of Mediterranean wetlands by focusing on two emerging pathogens: Influenza A viruses (IAV) and West Nile virus. The thesis is structured around three research axes i) Using epidemiological surveillance of wild birds to investigate the circulation of West Nile virus in the Mediterranean Basin ii) Exploring IAV dynamics in the different compartments in which they circulate and at their interface iii) Determining the role of environmental conditions in IAV dynamics, especially within human populations. Our results highlight the value of long-term interdisciplinary studies for the understanding of the epidemiology of emerging diseases. They also emphasize the role of human activities and environmental conditions in the dynamics of these diseases. Our studies open up perspectives for combining emerging disease risk management and the management of ecosystems and populations. They also argue in favour of further developing this type of approach in order to meet the challenge of emerging pathogen prevention and control.

West Nile Virus (WNV), a vector-borne disease continues to be a serious threat to public health in the United States, particularly in the Southwest region. While all the states in the U.S. experienced a decreasing trend of WNV disease in 2010, the state of Arizona experienced a sharp increase from 20 in 2009 to 166 cases the following year. This dissertation endeavored to develop forecasting models to predict future cases of disease and identify counties with increased propensity for WNV. Furthermore, this study aimed to identify environmental and economic factors that contributed to the increase in WNV cases in Maricopa County, Arizona. A spatiotemporal stochastic regression model was developed using Bayesian principles and was successful in calculating the annual mean cases of disease from 2003 to 2011 for all counties. The model was also able to predict future cases of disease by fitting historical data. The model-based inference identified counties in the southern region of Arizona as having an elevated propensity for disease compared to counties in the northern region. A Seasonal Autoregressive Integrated Moving Average (SARIMA) model was developed and effectively forecasted monthly cases of human WNV in Maricopa County, Arizona. By fitting the SARIMA model to monthly historical disease data from 2005 to 2011, the temporal model presented a decreasing trend of monthly incidence of disease for 2012. The impact of home foreclosures, climate variability, and population growth on the resurgence of human WNV disease cases in Maricopa County during the 2010 epidemic was investigated. These factors were found to have contributed to the resurgence of the disease by creating the optimal environmental conditions that allowed the amplification of mosquito populations, thus increasing the risk of disease transmission to humans. As spatiotemporal disease data become readily available, forecasting models can be an important and viable risk assessment tool for public health practitioners. Forecasting models allow the mobilization and distribution of limited resources to areas with elevated propensity for disease, and the timely deployment of intervention programs to reduce the overall risk of disease. / Graduation date: 2013

In recent times, diminishing freshwater resources, due to the rapidly increasing drain of urban, industrial and agricultural activities in combination with the impact of climate change, has led to an urgent need to manage marine and brackish water environments more efficiently. Therefore the diversification of aquacultural practices, either by the introduction of new candidate species or by the adaptation of culture methods for existing species, is vital at a time when innovation and adaptability of the aquaculture industry is fundamental in order to maintain its sustainability. The Nile tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus, Linnaeus, 1758), which has now been spread well beyond its natural range, dominates tilapia aquaculture because of its adaptability and fast growth rate. Although not considered to be amongst the most salt tolerant of the cultured tilapia species, the Nile tilapia still offers considerable potential for culture in low-salinity water. An increase in knowledge of the limits and basis of salinity tolerance of Nile tilapia during the sensitive early life stages and the ability to predict responses of critical life-history stages to environmental change could prove invaluable in improving larval rearing techniques and extend the scope of this globally important fish species. The capability of early life stages of the Nile tilapia to withstand variations in salinity is due to their ability to osmoregulate, therefore the ontogeny of osmoregulation in the Nile tilapia was studied from spawning to yolk-sac absorption after exposure to different experimental conditions ranging from freshwater to 25 ppt. Eggs were able to withstand elevated rearing salinities up to 20 ppt, but transfer to 25 ppt induced 100% mortality by 48 h post-fertilisation. At all stages embryos and larvae hyper-regulated at lower salinities and hypo-regulated at higher salinities, relative to the salinity of the external media. Osmoregulatory capacity increased during development and from 2 days post-hatch onwards remained constant until yolk-sac absorption. Adjustments to larval osmolality, following abrupt transfer from freshwater to experimental salinities (12.5 and 20 ppt), appeared to follow a pattern of crisis and regulation, with whole-body osmolality for larvae stabilising at c. 48 h post-transfer for all treatments, regardless of age at time of transfer. Age at transfer to experimental salinities (7.5 – 20 ppt) had a significant positive effect on larval ability to osmoregulate; larvae transferred at 8 dph maintained a more constant range of whole body osmolality over the experimental salinities tested than larvae at hatch. Concomitantly, survival following transfer to experimental salinities increased with age. There was a significant effect (GLM; p < 0.05) of salinity of incubation and rearing media on the incidence of gross larval malformation that was seen to decline over the developmental period studied. It is well established that salinity exerts a strong influence on development and growth in early life stages of fishes therefore the effects of varying low salinities (0 - 25 ppt) on hatchability, survival, growth and energetic parameters were examined in the Nile tilapia during early life stages. Salinity up to 20 ppt was tolerable, although reduced hatching rates at 15 and 20 ppt suggest that these salinites may be less than optimal. Optimum timing of transfer of eggs from freshwater to elevated salinities was 3-4 h post-fertilisation, following manual stripping and fertilisation of eggs, however increasing incubation salinity lengthened the time taken to hatch. Salinity was related to dry body weight, with larvae in salinities greater than 15 ppt displaying, at hatch, a significantly (GLM: p < 0.05) lower body weight but containing greater yolk reserves than those in freshwater or lower salinities. Survival at yolk-sac absorption displayed a significant (GLM; p < 0.05) inverse relationship with increasing salinity and mortalities were particularly heavy in the higher salinities of 15, 20 and 25 ppt. Mortalities occurred primarily during early yolk-sac development yet stabilised from 5 dph onwards. Salinity had a negative effect on yolk absorption efficiency (YAE). Salinity-related differences in oxygen consumption rates were not detectable until 3 days post-hatch; oxygen consumption rates of larvae in freshwater between days 3 – 6 post-hatch were always significantly higher (GLM p < 0.05) than those in 7.5, 15, 20 and 25 ppt, however, on day 9 post-hatch this pattern was reversed and freshwater larvae had a significantly lower QO2 than those in elevated salinities. Salinity had a significant inverse effect on larval standard length, with elevated salinities producing shorter larvae from hatch until 6 dph, after which time there was no significant differences between treatments. Salinity had a significant effect on whole larval dry weight, with heavier larvae in elevated salinities throughout the yolk-sac period (GLM; p < 0.05). The ability of the Nile tilapia to withstand elevated salinity during early life stages is due to morphological and ultrastructural modifications of extrabranchial mitochondria-rich cells (MRCs) that confer an osmoregulatory capacity before the development of the adult osmoregulatory system. A clearly defined temporal staging of the appearance of these adaptive mechanisms, conferring ability to cope with varying environmental conditions during early development, was evident. Ontogenetic changes in MRC location, 2-dimensional surface area, density and general morphological changes were investigated in larvae incubated and reared in freshwater and brackish water (15 ppt) from hatch until yolk-sac absorption using Na+/K+-ATPase immunohistochemistry with a combination of microscope techniques. The pattern of MRC distribution was seen to change during development under both treatments, with cell density decreasing significantly on the body from hatch to 7 days post-hatch, but appearing on the inner opercular area at 3 days post-hatch and increasing significantly (GLM; p < 0.05) thereafter. Mitochondria-rich cells were always significantly (GLM; p < 0.05) denser in freshwater than in brackish water maintained larvae. In both freshwater and brackish water, MRCs located on the outer operculum and tail showed a marked increase in size with age, however, cells located on the abdominal epithelium of the yolk-sac and the inner operculum showed a significant decrease in size (GLM; p < 0.05) over time. Mitochondria-rich cells from brackish water maintained larvae from 1 day post-hatch onwards were always significantly larger (GLM; p < 0.05) than those maintained in freshwater. Preliminary scanning electron microscopy studies revealed structural differences in chloride cell morphology that varied according to environmental conditions. Mitochondria-rich cell morphology and function are intricately related and the plasticity or adaptive response of this cell to environmental changes is vital in preserving physiological homeostasis and contributes to fishes’ ability to inhabit diverse environments. Yolk-sac larvae were transferred from freshwater at 3 days post-hatch to 12.5 and 20 ppt and sampled at 24 and 48 h post-transfer. The use of scanning electron microscopy allowed a quantification of MRC, based on the appearance and surface area of their apical crypts, resulting in a reclassification of ‘sub-types’ i.e. Type I or absorptive, degenerating form (surface area range 5.2 – 19.6 μm2), Type II or active absorptive form (surface area range 1.1 – 15.7 μm2), Type III or differentiating form (surface area range 0.08 – 4.6 μm2) and Type IV or active secreting form (surface area range 4.1 – 11.7 μm2). In addition, the crypts of mucous cells were discriminated from those of MRCs based on the presence of globular extensions and similarly quantified.