Odyssey Marine Exploration Inc., a U.S.-based ocean exploration company, has announced that it has submitted an Unsolicited Request for Lease Sale of Marine Mineral Exploration and Development Rights to the U.S. Department of the Interior's Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM). This request, one of the first of its kind under the Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act (OCSLA) of 1953, is currently under regulatory review by BOEM. If approved, Odyssey plans to begin comprehensive environmental and geological studies as part of its project to responsibly assess and potentially recover critical minerals from U.S. waters. No grant or funding has been announced at this stage, and the regulatory process is ongoing.