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Loans Payable - Note 4 - Epsilon - Additional Information (Detail) $ / shares in Units, Cuota in Millions								3 Months Ended			9 Months Ended	12 Months Ended
	Aug. 10, 2017 USD ($)	Mar. 21, 2017 USD ($) shares	Dec. 15, 2016 $ / shares shares	Nov. 15, 2016 $ / shares shares	Oct. 16, 2016 $ / shares shares	Oct. 01, 2016 USD ($) d $ / shares shares	Mar. 18, 2016 USD ($) d Cuota $ / shares	Sep. 30, 2019 USD ($) $ / shares	Sep. 30, 2018 USD ($)	Jun. 30, 2017 USD ($) shares	Sep. 30, 2019 USD ($) Cuota $ / shares	Dec. 31, 2017 USD ($)	Dec. 31, 2018 USD ($)	Oct. 31, 2018 $ / shares shares	Jan. 25, 2017 USD ($)	Mar. 17, 2016 $ / shares
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Common stock purchase warrant \| shares														700,000
Warrant right exercise price \| $ / shares														$ 7.155
Epsilon Acquisitions, LLC [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Aggregate amount issuable							$ 6,000,000
Accrued interest								$ 25,205	$ 25,205
Aggregate fair value of warrants											$ 303,712
Inducement expense											$ 303,712
Notes Payable, Other Payables [Member] \| Third Tranche [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Conversion price of Notes \| $ / shares					$ 3.52
Conversion of stock, shares Issued \| shares					1,000,000
Notes Payable, Other Payables [Member] \| Fourth Tranche [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Conversion price of Notes \| $ / shares				$ 4.19
Conversion of stock, shares Issued \| shares				1,000,000
Notes Payable, Other Payables [Member] \| Fifth Tranche [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Conversion price of Notes \| $ / shares			$ 4.13
Conversion of stock, shares Issued \| shares			1,000,000
Notes Payable, Other Payables [Member] \| MINOSA [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Aggregate amount issuable							14,750,000
Debt Instrument, acceleration clause description											The indebtedness may be accelerated upon the occurrence of specified events of default including (a) OME’s failure to pay any amount payable on the date due and payable; (b) OME or we fail to perform or observe any term, covenant, or agreement in the Purchase Agreement or the related documents, subject to a five-day cure period; (c) an event of default or material breach by OME, us or any of our affiliates under any of the other loan documents shall have occurred and all grace periods, if any, applicable thereto shall have expired; (d) the Stock Purchase Agreement shall have been terminated; (e) specified dissolution, liquidation, insolvency, bankruptcy, reorganization, or similar cases or actions are commenced by or against OME or any of its subsidiaries, in specified circumstances unless dismissed or stayed within 60 days; (f) the entry of judgment or award against OME or any of its subsidiaries in excess or $100,000; and (g) a change in control (as defined in the Purchase Agreement) occurs.
Judgment amount for acceleration of indebtedness							100,000
Notes Payable, Other Payables [Member] \| Epsilon Acquisitions, LLC [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Aggregate amount issuable		$ 6,000,000				$ 3,000,000	3,000,000								$ 3,000,000
Installment amount of Notes							$ 1,500,000
Interest rate, stated percentage						10.00%	10.00%
Notes security description											we granted security interests to Epsilon in (a) the 54 million cuotas (a unit of ownership under Panamanian law) of Oceanica Resources S. de R.L. (“Oceanica”) held by our wholly owned subsidiary, Odyssey Marine Enterprises, Ltd. (“OME”), (b) all notes and other receivables from Oceanica and its subsidiary owed to the Odyssey Pledgors, and (c) all of the outstanding equity in OME.
Conversion price of Notes \| $ / shares						$ 5.00	$ 5.00									$ 5.00
Conversion price of Notes upon default \| $ / shares							$ 2.50
Debt instrument maturity date						Mar. 18, 2017	Mar. 18, 2017
Pledged units of ownership \| Cuota							54				54
Number of trading days \| d						75	75
Lender's out of pocket costs								$ 50,000			$ 50,000
Accrued interest										$ 302,274
Conversion of stock, shares Issued \| shares		670,455								670,455
Beneficial conversion feature recorded											$ 96,000
Debt conversion amount	$ 2,000,000	$ 2,000,000										$ 2,000,000
Common stock purchase warrant \| shares						120,000
Warrant right exercise price \| $ / shares						$ 3.52		$ 3.52			$ 3.52
Warrant Expiration Date											Oct. 01, 2021
Warrant right exercise price description											Warrant shall be the number determined by multiplying 120,000 by a fraction, (a) the numerator of which is the aggregate principal amount of advances that have been extended to the OME by Epsilon pursuant to the Restated Note Purchase Agreement on or after the date of the Warrant and prior to the date of such failure and (b) the denominator of which is $3.0 million.
Equity component in loans payable		3,000,000						$ 3,000,000			$ 3,000,000
Amount of loan outstanding								$ 1,000,000			$ 1,000,000		$ 1,000,000
Notes Payable, Other Payables [Member] \| Epsilon Acquisitions, LLC [Member] \| Maximum [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Aggregate amount issuable		$ 6,050,000
Notes Payable, Other Payables [Member] \| Epsilon Acquisitions, LLC [Member] \| Maximum [Member] \| Tranche [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Conversion of stock, shares Issued \| shares						1,388,769