Four unarmed bombs dropped on the Great Barrier Reef are considered a low-level risk to the environment.
Two US warplanes were forced to drop the bombs after they ran dangerously low on fuel during a problem-plagued training exercise in central Queensland last week.
It's since emerged the planes were unable to drop the ordnance where they had intended because civilian vessels had wandered into the pre-approved drop zone.
Instead they were let go in about 50 to 60 metres of water inside the boundaries of the Great Barrier Reef marine park.
The marine park authority says it will work with defence personnel to ensure the bombs are recovered.
Authority spokesman Bruce Elliot says the devices are considered low risk.
He told the ABC that two of the bombs do not contain any explosives. The other two are loaded with explosives but weren't armed when they were dropped.
AAP is awaiting comment from Australian defence officials about how civilian craft came to be inside the area set aside for the exercise.
Commander William Marks, of the US 7th Fleet, said he couldn't shed any light on that.
He said the crews of the planes had to carry out "emergency jettisons", but the decision about where that would occur was made in conjunction with Australian authorities.
The ordnance was released into 50 to 60 metres of water where there would be no hazard to shipping, he said.
"Their priority was to get to a place which would create the least impact, which we believe we did," he said.
The incident happened last week during the Talisman Sabre joint military exercise at Shoalwater Bay in central Queensland.
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