Aside from the U.S. Navy's testing of sonar which is linked to whale beaching, I hardly think about the impact of military action and the marine environment. This story brings the issue into sharp focus in the Middle East where the clash between Israel and Lebanon took its toll on nesting sea turtles.

One mile of beach near Mansouri provides a nesting ground to Loggerhead and Green turtles. Even with the fighting 70 and 9 nests, respectively, were laid and 5,000 hatchlings made their way to the ocean. This number may have been more had the turtle conservationists been able to stay in the area and protect the nests. Unfortunately the conflict forced them to flee. Although the fighting has ceased, the beach has become littered with plastic water bottles and other trash from marine vessels patrolling the coast.

On a bright note, Lebanese don't eat turtle for religious reasons and laws have been enacted to prohibit harvesting them.