P-02 The Relationship between Cold Stress Syndrome Mortality and Body Shape in Florida Manatees

West Indian manatees are tropical and subtropical aquatic mammals that can develop cold stress syndrome (CSS) when subjected to water temperatures below 20℃. This study investigates the potential impact that cold winter water temperatures in Florida may have on manatee body shape as a selective force to reduce surface-area-to-volume ratio (SA:Vol; i.e. Bergmann’s and Allen’s Rule). Morphometric measurements collected from state-mandated necropsies (1974-2014) were used to calculate surface area, volume, and mass. The SA:Vol, controlled by mass, is predicted to be significantly larger for manatees that died of CSS compared to manatees that died from other causes.