Many people were alarmed by the news of four bombs being dropped at the Great Barrier Reef, but according to the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority Chairman Russel Reichelt, there were insignificant consequences even with the incident not being ideal.

The dropping of the bombs happened northeast of Townshed Island, off the Queensland coast northeast of Rockhampton on July 16, 2013.

As part of the U.S. and Australian Defence training exercise, Exercise Talisman Saber, the U.S. military was forced to drop four 226-kg bombs at the world-heritage-listed Great Barrier Reef last week. It was an emergency situation as the aircraft was already running low in fuel. Vice Admiral Scott Swift of the U.S. Fleet informed press that dropping the bombs was the safest option for the pilots aboard the aircraft.

In a report from Courier Mail, Reichelt said, "The impacts on the environment are negligible and since there was four weapons dropped, two were filled with concrete and two explosives, they were not armed and they were essentially inert so the environment affects where they land on the flat sea bottom. It was well away from any sensitive habitat."

"It was a habitat protection zone which is an area of intermediate protection in the Great Barrier Reef, it wasn't an area in the marine national park zone and it wasn't trawling zone."

According to Reichelt, there were no penalties or punishments to be imposed, as it was an understandably an emergency situation.

In a report from the Associated Press, the U.S. Navy said that plans to recover the bombs were already on its way, although it clarified that explosion was impossible for these bombs were unarmed.

U.S. Navy spokesman Commander William Marks told the Associated Press, "Due to low fuel and inability to land with the amount of ordnance they were carrying, the on-scene commander determined it was necessary to designate an emergency jettison area for the ordnance."

"The incident is being investigated by the U.S. and findings will be provided to the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority so that the way ahead can be mutually agreed," stated a spokesman.

Marks further explained that each bomb was dropped in a "safe, unarmed state and did not explode."

The extent of damage to the reef or other marine life remained unclear and, for this, marine protesters were still expressing horror about the incident.

Graeme Dunstan, an environmental campaigner who opposed the joint Australian-U.S. military exercise, said, "How can they protect the environment and bomb the reef at the same time?"