Basis of Presentation	9 Months Ended
Sep. 30, 2018
Organization, Consolidation and Presentation of Financial Statements [Abstract]
Basis of Presentation	NOTE A - BASIS OF PRESENTATION The accompanying unaudited consolidated financial statements of Odyssey Marine Exploration, Inc. and subsidiaries (the “Company,” “Odyssey,” “us,” “we” or “our”) have been prepared in accordance with the rules and regulations of the Securities and Exchange Commission and the instructions to Form 10-Q and, therefore, do not include all information and footnotes normally included in financial statements prepared in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles. These interim consolidated financial statements should be read in conjunction with the consolidated financial statements and notes included in the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2017. In the opinion of management, these financial statements reflect all adjustments, including normal recurring adjustments, necessary for a fair presentation of the financial position as of September 30, 2018 and the results of operations and cash flows for the interim periods presented. Operating results for the nine-month period ended September 30, 2018 are not necessarily indicative of the results that may be expected for the full year. Recent accounting pronouncements In May 2014, the Financial Accounting Standards Board, or the FASB, issued Accounting Standards Update 2014-09, Revenue from Contracts with Customers, or ASU 2014-09, which establishes a comprehensive revenue recognition standard under GAAP for almost all industries. The standard applies for annual periods beginning after December 15, 2017, including interim periods therein. Based on management’s review of this standard along with the substance of our transactions, management believes this standard has not had and will not have a material impact on our financial statements. In February 2016, the FASB issued Accounting Standards Update 2016-02, Leases, which establishes a comprehensive lease standard under GAAP for virtually all industries. The standard requires lessees to apply a dual approach, classifying leases as either finance or operating leases based on the principle of whether or not the lease is effectively a financed purchase of the leased asset by the lessee. This classification will determine whether the lease expense is recognized based on an effective interest method or on a straight-line basis over the term of the lease. A lessee is also required to record a right of use asset and a lease liability for all leases with a term of greater than 12 months regardless of their classification. Leases with a term of 12 months or less will be accounted for similar to existing guidance for operating leases. The standard requires lessors to account for leases using an approach that is substantially equivalent to existing guidance for sales type leases, direct financing leases and operating leases. The standard will apply for annual periods beginning after December 15, 2018, including interim periods therein, and requires modified retrospective application. Early adoption is permitted. Based on management’s current understanding of this standard along with the underlying substance of our operations, management believes it will not have a material impact on our financial statements. In May 2017, the FASB issued ASU 2017-09, Compensation-Stock Compensation (Topic 718), Scope of Modification Accounting. The amendments in this Update provide guidance about which changes to the terms or conditions of a share-based payment award require an entity to apply modification accounting in Topic 718. The amendments in this update are now effective for all entities for annual periods, and interim periods within those annual periods, beginning after December 15, 2017. Based on management’s understanding of this new standard along with the underlying substance of our operations, this standard has not had and will not have a material impact on our financial statements. In July 2017, the FASB issued Accounting Standards Update No. 2017-11, Earnings Per Share (Topic 260), Distinguishing Liabilities from Equity (Topic 480), Derivatives and Hedging (Topic 815). The amendments in Part I of this Update change the classification analysis of certain equity-linked financial instruments (or embedded features) with down round features. When determining whether certain financial instruments should be classified as liabilities or equity instruments, a down round feature no longer precludes equity classification when assessing whether the instrument is indexed to an entity’s own stock. The amendments also clarify existing disclosure requirements for equity-classified instruments. As a result, a freestanding equity-linked financial instrument (or embedded conversion option) no longer would be accounted for as a derivative liability at fair value as a result of the existence of a down round feature. For freestanding equity classified financial instruments, the amendments require entities that present earnings per share (EPS) in accordance with Topic 260 to recognize the effect of the down round feature when it is triggered. That effect is treated as a dividend and as a reduction of income available to common shareholders in basic EPS. Convertible instruments with embedded conversion options that have down round features are now subject to the specialized guidance for contingent beneficial conversion features (in Subtopic 470-20, Debt—Debt with Conversion and Other Options), including related EPS guidance (in Topic 260). The amendments in Part II of this Update recharacterize the indefinite deferral of certain provisions of Topic 480 that now are presented as pending content in the Codification, to a scope exception. Those amendments do not have an accounting effect. For public business entities, the amendments in Part I of this Update are effective for fiscal years, and interim periods within those fiscal years, beginning after December 15, 2018. For all other entities, the amendments in Part I of this Update are effective for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2019, and interim periods within fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2020. Early adoption is permitted for all entities, including adoption in an interim period. If an entity early adopts the amendments in an interim period, any adjustments should be reflected as of the beginning of the fiscal year that includes that interim period. Based on management’s current understanding of this new standard along with the underlying substance of our operations, management believes it will not have a material impact on our financial statements. In March 2018, the FASB issued ASU No. 2018-05, Income Taxes (Topic 740), Amendments to SEC Paragraphs Pursuant to SEC Staff Accounting Bulletin No. 118. The amendments in this update add various SEC paragraphs pursuant to the issuance of SEC Accounting Bulletin No. 118, Income Tax Accounting Implications of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (“Act”) (“SAB 118”). The SEC issued SAB 118 to address concerns about reporting entities’ ability to timely comply with the accounting requirements to recognize all of the effects of the Act in the period of enactment. SAB 118 allows a reporting entity to disclose that timely determination of some or all of the income tax effects from the Act are incomplete by the due date of the financial statements and, if possible, to provide a reasonable estimate. The use of reasonable estimates have been disclosed in NOTE F of the consolidated financial statements. Other recent accounting pronouncements issued by the FASB, the AICPA and the SEC did not or are not believed by management to have a material effect, if any, on the Company’s financial statements.

NOTE A - BASIS OF PRESENTATION

The accompanying unaudited consolidated financial statements of Odyssey Marine Exploration, Inc. and subsidiaries (the “Company,” “Odyssey,” “us,” “we” or “our”) have been prepared in accordance with the rules and regulations of the Securities and Exchange Commission and the instructions to Form 10-Q and, therefore, do not include all information and footnotes normally included in financial statements prepared in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles. These interim consolidated financial statements should be read in conjunction with the consolidated financial statements and notes included in the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2017.

In the opinion of management, these financial statements reflect all adjustments, including normal recurring adjustments, necessary for a fair presentation of the financial position as of September 30, 2018 and the results of operations and cash flows for the interim periods presented. Operating results for the nine-month period ended September 30, 2018 are not necessarily indicative of the results that may be expected for the full year.

Recent accounting pronouncements

In May 2014, the Financial Accounting Standards Board, or the FASB, issued Accounting Standards Update 2014-09, Revenue from Contracts with Customers, or ASU 2014-09, which establishes a comprehensive revenue recognition standard under GAAP for almost all industries. The standard applies for annual periods beginning after December 15, 2017, including interim periods therein. Based on management’s review of this standard along with the substance of our transactions, management believes this standard has not had and will not have a material impact on our financial statements.

In February 2016, the FASB issued Accounting Standards Update 2016-02, Leases, which establishes a comprehensive lease standard under GAAP for virtually all industries. The standard requires lessees to apply a dual approach, classifying leases as either finance or operating leases based on the principle of whether or not the lease is effectively a financed purchase of the leased asset by the lessee. This classification will determine whether the lease expense is recognized based on an effective interest method or on a straight-line basis over the term of the lease. A lessee is also required to record a right of use asset and a lease liability for all leases with a term of greater than 12 months regardless of their classification. Leases with a term of 12 months or less will be accounted for similar to existing guidance for operating leases. The standard requires lessors to account for leases using an approach that is substantially equivalent to existing guidance for sales type leases, direct financing leases and operating leases. The standard will apply for annual periods beginning after December 15, 2018, including interim periods therein, and requires modified retrospective application. Early adoption is permitted. Based on management’s current understanding of this standard along with the underlying substance of our operations, management believes it will not have a material impact on our financial statements.

In May 2017, the FASB issued ASU 2017-09, Compensation-Stock Compensation (Topic 718), Scope of Modification Accounting. The amendments in this Update provide guidance about which changes to the terms or conditions of a share-based payment award require an entity to apply modification accounting in Topic 718. The amendments in this update are now effective for all entities for annual periods, and interim periods within those annual periods, beginning after December 15, 2017. Based on management’s understanding of this new standard along with the underlying substance of our operations, this standard has not had and will not have a material impact on our financial statements.

In July 2017, the FASB issued Accounting Standards Update No. 2017-11, Earnings Per Share (Topic 260), Distinguishing Liabilities from Equity (Topic 480), Derivatives and Hedging (Topic 815). The amendments in Part I of this Update change the classification analysis of certain equity-linked financial instruments (or embedded features) with down round features. When determining whether certain financial instruments should be classified as liabilities or equity instruments, a down round feature no longer precludes equity classification when assessing whether the instrument is indexed to an entity’s own stock. The amendments also clarify existing disclosure requirements for equity-classified instruments. As a result, a freestanding equity-linked financial instrument (or embedded conversion option) no longer would be accounted for as a derivative liability at fair value as a result of the existence of a down round feature. For freestanding equity classified financial instruments, the amendments require entities that present earnings per share (EPS) in accordance with Topic 260 to recognize the effect of the down round feature when it is triggered. That effect is treated as a dividend and as a reduction of income available to common shareholders in basic EPS. Convertible instruments with embedded conversion options that have down round features are now subject to the specialized guidance for contingent beneficial conversion features (in Subtopic 470-20, Debt—Debt with Conversion and Other Options), including related EPS guidance (in Topic 260). The amendments in Part II of this Update recharacterize the indefinite deferral of certain provisions of Topic 480 that now are presented as pending content in the Codification, to a scope exception. Those amendments do not have an accounting effect. For public business entities, the amendments in Part I of this Update are effective for fiscal years, and interim periods within those fiscal years, beginning after December 15, 2018. For all other entities, the amendments in Part I of this Update are effective for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2019, and interim periods within fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2020. Early adoption is permitted for all entities, including adoption in an interim period. If an entity early adopts the amendments in an interim period, any adjustments should be reflected as of the beginning of the fiscal year that includes that interim period. Based on management’s current understanding of this new standard along with the underlying substance of our operations, management believes it will not have a material impact on our financial statements.

In March 2018, the FASB issued ASU No. 2018-05, Income Taxes (Topic 740), Amendments to SEC Paragraphs Pursuant to SEC Staff Accounting Bulletin No. 118. The amendments in this update add various SEC paragraphs pursuant to the issuance of SEC Accounting Bulletin No. 118, Income Tax Accounting Implications of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (“Act”) (“SAB 118”). The SEC issued SAB 118 to address concerns about reporting entities’ ability to timely comply with the accounting requirements to recognize all of the effects of the Act in the period of enactment. SAB 118 allows a reporting entity to disclose that timely determination of some or all of the income tax effects from the Act are incomplete by the due date of the financial statements and, if possible, to provide a reasonable estimate. The use of reasonable estimates have been disclosed in NOTE F of the consolidated financial statements.

Other recent accounting pronouncements issued by the FASB, the AICPA and the SEC did not or are not believed by management to have a material effect, if any, on the Company’s financial statements.