In-Water Sea Turtle Abundance And Health Assessment Study Off The Coast Of The Southeastern United States   J. David Whitaker1, Bruce W. Stender2, Phillip P. Maier1, Al L. Segars1   1South Carolina Department of Natural Resources, Marine Resources Division, PO Box 12559, Charleston, SC; 2Christschool, 500 Christschool Road, Arden, NC     One of the obstacles facing policy makers regarding endangered and threatened sea turtles is the lack of “real- time“ data available on these populations: numbers, sex ratios, age of animals and beach of origin.      This presentation will review techniques (trawling) and results of years one and two in NMFS-funded study to develop an in-water index of abundance for sea turtles off the southeastern United States. Information gained through this project will supplement data gained through the ongoing beach surveys of nesting females with information on subadults and males. The study will develop and provide baseline information for comparison in future population-monitoring efforts.  Health assessments to include CBC and blood chemistry blood profiles, biotoxin/anthropogenic toxin assays and correlated immunological studies will also be discussed.