Consolidated Statements of Income - USD ($)	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2015	Dec. 31, 2014	Dec. 31, 2013
REVENUE
Recovered cargo sales and other	$ 1,943,709	$ 1,271,398	$ 23,670,264
Exhibit	58,352	51,484	112,129
Expedition	3,328,190		131,556
Total revenue	5,330,251	1,322,882	23,913,949
OPERATING EXPENSES
Cost of sales - recovered cargo and other	1,447,331	247,087	694,787
Operations and research	11,428,506	19,477,227	26,024,548
Marketing, general and administrative	11,458,528	9,791,260	14,161,465
Common stock issued for subsidiary stock option settlement	2,520,000
Total operating expenses	26,854,365	29,515,574	40,880,800
LOSS FROM OPERATIONS	(21,524,114)	(28,192,692)	(16,966,851)
OTHER INCOME OR (EXPENSE)
Interest income	137	25,302	9,966
Interest expense	(4,551,799)	(1,560,254)	(3,581,642)
Change in derivative liabilities fair value	(1,175,971)	1,001,679	4,385,380
(Loss) from unconsolidated entity		(522,500)
Gain on debt extinguishment	5,611,907
Other	388,595	104,922	581,543
Total other income or (expense)	272,869	(950,851)	2,601,597
LOSS BEFORE INCOME TAXES	(21,251,245)	(29,143,543)	(14,365,254)
Income tax benefit (provision)		481,055	(496,055)
NET (LOSS) BEFORE NON-CONTROLLING INTEREST	(21,251,245)	(28,662,488)	(14,861,309)
Non-controlling interest	3,044,082	2,189,374	4,120,037
NET (LOSS)	$ (18,207,163)	$ (26,473,114)	$ (10,741,272)
LOSS PER SHARE
Basic and diluted	$ (2.46)	$ (3.74)	$ (1.61)
Weighted average number of common shares outstanding
Basic and diluted	7,413,602	7,072,553	6,677,402
Derivative Liabilities [Member]
OTHER INCOME OR (EXPENSE)
Change in derivative liabilities fair value	$ (1,175,971)	$ 1,001,679	$ 4,385,380
Silver Fixed Price Swap [Member]
OTHER INCOME OR (EXPENSE)
Change in derivative liabilities fair value			$ 1,206,350