NOTE M – STOCKHOLDERS’ EQUITY/(DEFICIT)

At our Annual Meeting of Stockholders on June 9, 2015, our stockholders approved a 1-for-6 reverse stock split. On February 9, 2016, our Board of Directors authorized an additional 1-for-2 reverse stock split, to be effective immediately after the stockholder-approved 1-for-6 reverse stock split is implemented. The reverse stock splits were effective on February 19, 2016. The two reverse stock splits have the combined effect of a 1-for-12 reverse stock split. At the effective time of the reverse stock splits, every 12 shares of issued and outstanding common stock were converted into one share of issued and outstanding common stock, and the authorized shares of common stock were reduced from 150,000,000 to 75,000,000 shares. The par value remains at $0.0001. All shares and related financial information in this Form 10-K reflect this 1-for-12 reverse stock split.

Common Stock

In April 2017, Epsilon converted $3.3 million of their principal and accrued interest into 670,455 shares of our common stock at a conversion price of $5.00. See NOTE I for further information.

Convertible Preferred Stock

On March 11, 2015, we entered into a Stock Purchase Agreement (the “Purchase Agreement”) with Penelope Mining LLC (the “Investor”), and, solely with respect to certain provisions of the Purchase Agreement, Minera del Norte, S.A. de C.V. (the “Lender”). The Purchase Agreement provides for the Company to issue and sell to the Investor shares of the Company’s preferred stock in the amounts set forth in the following table (numbers have been adjusted for the February 2016 reverse stock split):


Convertible Preferred Stock	Shares		Price Per Share		Total Investment
Series AA-1		8,427,004	$	12.00	$	101,124,048
Series AA-2		7,223,145	$	6.00		43,338,870

		15,650,149			$	144,462,918

The Investor’s option to purchase the Series AA-2 shares is subject to the closing price of the Common Stock on the NASDAQ market having been greater than or equal to $15.12 per share for a period of twenty (20) consecutive business days on which the NASDAQ market is open.

The closing of the sale and issuance of shares of the Company’s preferred stock to the Investor is subject to certain conditions, including the Company’s receipt of required approvals from the Company’s stockholders, the receipt of regulatory approval, performance by the Company of its obligations under the Stock Purchase Agreement, the listing of the underlying common stock on the NASDAQ Stock Market and the Investor’s satisfaction, in its sole discretion, with the viability of certain undersea mining projects of the Company. This transaction received stockholders’ approval on June 9, 2015. Completion of the transaction requires amending the Company’s articles of incorporation to (a) effect a reverse stock split, which was done on February 19, 2016, (b) adjusting the Company’s authorized capitalization, which was also done on February 19, 2016, and (c) establishing a classified board of directors (collectively, the “Amendments”). The Amendments have been or will be set forth in certificates of amendment to the Company’s articles of incorporation filed or to be filed with the Nevada Secretary of State.

Series AA Convertible Preferred Stock Designation

The Purchase Agreement provides for the issuance of up to 8,427,004 shares of Series AA-1 Convertible Preferred Stock, par value $0.0001 per share (the “Series AA-1 Preferred”) and 7,223,145 shares of Series AA-2 Convertible Preferred Stock, par value $0.0001 per share (the “Series AA-2 Preferred”), subject to stockholder approval which was received on June 9, 2015 and satisfaction of other conditions. Significant terms and conditions of the Series AA Preferred are as follows:

Dividends. If and when the Company declares a dividend and any other distribution (including, without limitation, in cash, in capital stock (which shall include, without limitation, any options, warrants or other rights to acquire capital stock) of the Company, then the holders of each share of Series AA Preferred Stock are entitled to receive, a dividend or distribution in an amount equal to the amount of dividend or distribution received by the holders of common stock for which such share of Series AA Preferred Stock is convertible.

Liquidation Preference. The Liquidation Preference on each share of Series AA Preferred Stock is its Stated Value plus accretion at the rate of 8% per annum compounded on each December 31 from the date of issue of such share until the date such share is converted. For any accretion period which is less than a full year, the Liquidation Preference shall accrete in an amount to be computed on the basis of a 360-day year of twelve 30-day months and the actual number of days elapsed.

Voting Rights. The holders of Series AA Preferred will be entitled to one vote for each share of common stock into which the Series AA Preferred is convertible and will be entitled to notice of meetings of stockholders.

Conversion Rights. At any time after the Preferred Shares have been issued, any holder of shares of Series AA Preferred may convert any or all of the shares of preferred stock into one fully paid and non-assessable share of Common Stock.

Adjustments to Conversion Rights. If Odyssey pays a dividend or makes a distribution on its common stock in shares of common stock, subdivides its outstanding common stock into a greater number of shares, or combines its outstanding common stock into a smaller number of shares, or if there is a reorganization, or a merger or consolidation of Odyssey with or into any other entity which results in a conversion, exchange, or cancellation of the common stock, or a sale of all or substantially all of Odyssey’s assets, then the conversion rights described above will be adjusted appropriately so that each holder of Series AA Preferred will receive the securities or other consideration the holder would have received if the holder’s Series AA Preferred had been converted before the happening of the event. The conversion price in effect from time to time is also subject to downward adjustment if we issue or sell shares of common stock for a purchase price less than the conversion price or if we issue or sell shares convertible into or exercisable for shares of common stock with a conversion price or exercise price less than the conversion price for the Series AA Preferred.

Accounting considerations

As stated above the issuance of the Series AA Convertible Preferred Stock is based on certain contingencies. No accounting treatment determination is required until these contingencies are met and the Series AA Convertible Preferred Stock has been issued. However, we have analyzed the instrument to determine the proper accounting treatment that will be necessary once the instruments have been issued.

ASC 480 generally requires liability classification for financial instruments that are certain to be redeemed, represent obligations to purchase shares of stock or represent obligations to issue a variable number of common shares. We concluded that the Series AA Preferred was not within the scope of ASC 480 because none of the three conditions for liability classification was present.

ASC 815 generally requires the analysis of embedded terms and features that have characteristics of derivatives to be evaluated for bifurcation and separate accounting in instances where their economic risks and characteristics are not clearly and closely related to the risks of the host contract. However, in order to perform this analysis, we were first required to evaluate the economic risks and characteristics of the Series AA Convertible Preferred Stock in its entirety as being either akin to equity or akin to debt. Our evaluation concluded that the Series AA Convertible Preferred Stock was more akin to an equity-like contract largely due to the fact that most of its features were participatory in nature. As a result, we concluded that the embedded conversion feature is clearly and closely related to the host equity contract and will not require bifurcation and liability classification.

The option to purchase the Series AA-2 Convertible Preferred Stock was analyzed as a freestanding financial instruments and has terms and features of derivative financial instruments. However, in analyzing this instrument under applicable guidance it was determined that it is both (i) indexed to the Company’s stock and (ii) meet the conditions for equity classification.

Stock-Based Compensation

We have two stock incentive plans. The first is the 2005 Stock Incentive Plan that expired in August 2015. After the expiration of this plan, equity instruments cannot be granted but this plan shall continue in effect until all outstanding awards have been exercised in full or are no longer exercisable and all equity instruments have vested or been forfeited.

On June 9, 2015, our shareholders approved our 2015 Stock Incentive Plan (the “Plan”) that was adopted by our Board of Directors (the “Board”) on January 2, 2015, which is the effective date. The plan expires on the tenth anniversary of the effective date. The Plan provides for the grant of incentive stock options, non-qualified stock options, restricted stock awards, restricted stock units and stock appreciation rights. This plan was initially capitalized with 450,000 shares that may be granted. The Plan is intended to comply with Section 162(m) of the Internal Revenue Code, which stipulates that the maximum aggregate number of Shares with respect to one or more Awards that may be granted to any one person during any calendar year shall be 83,333, and the maximum aggregate amount of cash that may be paid in cash to any person during any calendar year with respect to one or more Awards payable in cash shall be $2,000,000. The original maximum number of shares that were to be used for Incentive Stock Options (“ISO”) under the Plan was 450,000. During our June 2016 stockholders meeting, the stockholders approved the addition of 200,000 incremental shares to the Plan. With respect to each grant of an ISO to a participant who is not a ten percent stockholder, the exercise price shall not be less than the fair market value of a share on the date the ISO is granted. With respect to each grant of an ISO to a participant who is a ten percent stockholder, the exercise price shall not be less than one hundred ten percent (110%) of the fair market value of a share on the date the ISO is granted. If an award is a non-qualified stock option (“NQSO”), the exercise price for each share shall be no less than (1) the minimum price required by applicable state law, or (2) the fair market value of a share on the date the NQSO is granted, whichever price is greatest. Any award intended to meet the performance based exception must be granted with an exercise price not less than the fair market value of a share determined as of the date of such grant.

Share-based compensation expense recognized during the period is based on the value of the portion of share-based payment awards that is ultimately expected to vest. As share-based compensation expense recognized in the statement of operations is based on awards ultimately expected to vest, it can be reduced for estimated forfeitures. The ASC topic Stock Compensation requires forfeitures to be estimated at the time of grant and revised, if necessary, in subsequent periods if actual forfeitures differ from those estimates. The share based compensation charged against income for the periods ended December 31, 2017, 2016 and 2015 was $833,985, $1,778,461 and $2,348,744, respectively.

We did not grant stock options to employees in 2017. We did grant two outside directors options in 2016 for their quarterly fees related to the last three quarters of the year. The weighted average estimated fair value of stock options granted during the fiscal years ended December 31, 2017, 2016 and 2015 were $0.00, $1.75 and $8.52, respectively. These amounts were determined using the Black-Scholes option-pricing model, which values options based on the stock price at the grant date, the expected life of the option, the estimated volatility of the stock, the expected dividend payments, and the risk-free interest rate over the life of the option. The assumptions used in the Black-Scholes model were as follows for stock options granted in the years ended December 31, 2017, 2016 and 2015:


	2017	2016	2015
Risk-free interest rate	—	1.29 - 2.25%	1.78 - 2.00%
Expected volatility of common stock	—	80.87 - 82.69%	64.47 - 65.95%
Dividend yield	—	0%	0%
Expected life of options	—	8.2 years	6.1 - 8.2 years

The Black-Scholes option valuation model was developed for estimating the fair value of traded options that have no vesting restrictions and are fully transferable. Because option valuation models require the use of subjective assumptions, changes in these assumptions can materially affect the fair value of the options. Our options do not have the characteristics of traded options; therefore, the option valuation models do not necessarily provide a reliable measure of the fair value of our options.

Additional information with respect to both plans stock option activity is as follows:


	Number of Shares			Weighted Average Exercise Price
Outstanding at December 31, 2014		307,791		$	32.04
Granted		137,667		$	12.48
Exercised		—		$	—
Cancelled		(70,174	)	$	32.88

Outstanding at December 31, 2015		375,283		$	32.04
Granted		22,493		$	2.74
Exercised		—		$	—
Cancelled		(65,361	)	$	32.82

Outstanding at December 31, 2016		332,415		$	21.55
Granted		—		$	—
Exercised		—		$	—
Cancelled		(84,598	)	$	35.59

Outstanding at December 31, 2017		247,817		$	16.76

Options exercisable at December 31, 2015		275,735		$	27.48

Options exercisable at December 31, 2016		300,751		$	22.30

Options exercisable at December 31, 2017		247,817		$	16.76

The aggregate intrinsic values of options exercisable for the fiscal years ended December 31, 2017, 2016 and 2015 were $0, $16,633 and $0, respectively. The aggregate intrinsic values of options outstanding for the fiscal years ended December 31, 2017, 2016 and 2015 were $0, $16,633 and $0, respectively. The aggregate intrinsic values of options exercised during the fiscal years ended December 31, 2017, 2016 and 2015 are $0, $0 and $0, respectively, determined as of the date of the option exercise. Aggregate intrinsic value represents the positive difference between our closing stock price at the end of a respective period and the exercise price multiplied by the number of relative options. The total fair value of options vested during the fiscal years ended December 31, 2017, 2016 and 2015 was $231,952, $828,497 and $1,449,216, respectively.

As of December 31, 2017, there was no remaining amount of unrecognized compensation cost related to unvested share-based compensation awards granted to employees under the option plans. Therefore, there is no cost to be recognized over any future weighted average periods.

The following table summarizes information about stock options outstanding at December 31, 2017:

Stock Options Outstanding


Range of Exercise Prices	Number of Shares Outstanding		Weighted Average Remaining Contractual Life in Years		Weighted Average Exercise Price
$2.02 - $12.84		164,326		7.23	$	11.16
$26.40 - $39.00		83,491		5.47	$	27.66

		247,817		6.64	$	16.72

The estimated fair value of each restricted stock award is calculated using the share price at the date of the grant. A summary of the status of the restricted stock awards as of December 31, 2017 and changes during the year ended December 31, 2017 is presented as follows:


	Number of Shares			Weighted Average Grant Date Fair Value
Unvested at December 31, 2016		238,921		$	5.41
Granted		—		$	—
Vested		(106,095	)	$	4.81
Cancelled		—		$	—

Unvested at December 31, 2017		132,826		$	5.90

The fair value of restricted stock awards vested during the years ended December 31, 2017, 2016 and 2015 was $408,466, $715,406 and $318,000, respectively. The fair value of unvested restricted stock awards remaining at the periods ended December 31, 2017, 2016 and 2015 is $500,754, $817,110 and $300,334, respectively. The weighted-average grant date fair value of restricted stock awards granted during the periods ended December 31, 2017, 2016 and 2015 were nil, $3.54 and $12.48, respectively. The weighted-average remaining contractual term of these restricted stock awards at the periods ended December 31, 2017, 2016 and 2015 are 1.0, 2.0 and 2.6 years, respectively. As of December 31, 2017, there was a total of $484,614 unrecognized compensation cost related to unvested restricted stock awards.

The following table summarizes our common stock warrants outstanding at December 31, 2017:


Common Stock Warrants		Exercise Price		Termination Date
	120,000	$	3.52		10/01/2021

Cuota Appreciation Rights

On August 4, 2017, the Company’s board of directors (the “Board”) adopted the Odyssey Marine Exploration, Inc. Key Employee Cuota Appreciation Rights (the “Key Employee Plan”) and the Odyssey Marine Exploration, Inc. Nonemployee Director Cuota Appreciation Rights (the “Director Plan” and, together with the Key Employee Plan, the “Cuota Plans”). The Cuota Plans provide for the award of cuota appreciation rights (“CARs”) to eligible participants. A “cuota” is a unit of equity interest under Panamanian law, and the value of the CARs will be determined based upon the appreciation, if any, in the value of the cuotas of Oceanica Resources, S. de R.L., a Panamanian sociedad de responsabilidad limitada (“Oceanica”), after the award of such CARs. The Company indirectly holds a majority stake in Oceanica.

The Board authorized the award of up to 750,000 CARs under the Key Employee Plan and the award of up to 600,000 CARs under the Director Plan. The terms of any CARs awarded under the Cuota Plans will be set forth in an award agreement between the Company and each participant, and the award agreement will set forth a vesting schedule for the CARs. In general, unvested CARs will be forfeited upon a participant’s separation of service from the Company, and all vested and unvested CARs will be forfeited upon a participant’s separation of service from the Company for “cause” (as defined in the Cuota Plans).

Each participant in the Cuota Plans will be entitled to be paid the value of such participant’s CARs upon the occurrence of a “payment event.” As used in the Cuota Plans, payment events consist of a change in control of the Company or the date specified in the applicable award agreement and, in the case of the Key Employee Plan, a separation of service without cause and the participant’s continuous employment with the Company until the date specified in the applicable award agreement. The value of CARs liability will be based upon the difference between the basis in the cuotas of Oceanica on the date of the award of the CARs, which is $3.00, and the fair value of the cuotas on the date used for the payment event, in each case as determined by the Board in accordance with the provisions of the Cuota Plans. The fair value of the cuota as of December 31, 2017 is $1.38.

The following is an analysis of activity in the CARs balances as of December 31, 2017:


	Number of CARs
	Key Employee Plan		Nonemployee Director Plan
Unvested at December 31, 2016		—		—
Granted		343,616		222,000
Vested		—		(222,000	)
Cancelled		—		—

Unvested at December 31, 2017		343,616		—

At December 31, 2017, there was no liability or associated compensation cost associated with these CARs. At December 31, 2017, there were no vested or excersisable CARs awards outstanding related to the Key Employee Plan. The CARs in the Nonemployee Director Plan are utilized as compensation for services, therefore these CARs vest upon grant. At December 31, 2017, the Nonemployee Director Plan had 222,000 CARs vested and outstanding. Since there is not a readily available market that would value the cuota, we use the services of an outside professional and independent valuation firm to determine the fair value of the Cuota.