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"Millions of years ago, even before the continents had settled into place, jellyfish were already swimming the oceans with the same pulsing motions we observe today. Now through clever experiments and insightful math, an interdisciplinary research team has revealed a startling truth about how jellyfish and lampreys, another ancient species that undulate like eels, move through the water with unmatched efficiency." 
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"Scientists have unpicked how the skin of the Texas horned lizard funnels water towards its mouth - and copied the principles in a plastic version. This reptile can collect water from anywhere, including the sand it walks on; the fluid then travels to its mouth through channels between its scales. A German-Austrian team quantified the skin's key features, notably the way its grooves narrow towards the snout. The bio-inspired plastic copy could have some engineering applications. Writing in the Journal of the Royal Society Interface, the researchers suggest that the "passive, directional liquid transport" they have described might find a home in distilleries, heat exchangers, or small medical devices where condensation is a problem."
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"[...] The wing tips of steppe eagles are an ideal shape to maximize lift with a minimal wingspan. The curvature at the end of the wing reduces drag. Engineers designing the A380 copied that design, resulting in fuel savings of up to 3%, depending on if it is a long or short distance flight."
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"Sharks have tough skin that is worthy of biomimicry by nanotechnology designers and engineers. New coatings, textiles and other technologies that mimic the special biological properties of shark skin have been developed in recent years and many more such innovations are emerging across multiple industries."
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"Sometimes the answers to some of the most challenging problems with technology can be found in nature. Researchers hoping to design more agile and fuel-efficient submarines are taking cues from the unique and elegant way stingrays swim. Scientists at Harvard University and the University at Buffalo are studying how stingrays move, including the seemingly effortless way the fish's round and flattened bodies ripple through water. The new research could inspire the development of next-generation unmanned submarines for ocean exploration, clean-up efforts or rescue missions."
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"Gizmag takes a deeper look at John Dabiri's school of fish wind turbine array concept, and wonders whether the idea of packing turbines into as tight a space as possible might overlook some wind energy fundamentals."
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"Penguins release streams of lubricating bubbles from their feathers to help them surge out of the sea. Now shipping engineers and operators are looking for similar ways to reduce friction between ships and sea water, with a system that releases air to create a carpet of bubbles along the bottom of the ship."
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From
phys
Researchers at the U.S. Naval Research Laboratory (NRL) have taken inspiration from nature—from fish, in particular—to design and develop novel underwater propulsion, control, and sensing solutions for near-shore and littoral zone missions.
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"Speedo’s cutting edge new Nemesis Fins are making waves in the swimming world. The most comfortable fitness and swim training fin on the market, Speedo’s new Nemesis Fin was designed using biomimicry and inspired by the pectoral fin of the Humpback Whale. The scalloped outer edge of the fins, like that of the Humpback Whale, creates greater surface area for water to pass over versus a smooth, straight edge. This technology creates enhanced propulsion, allowing the swimmer to push more water during kicking drills and training sets."
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From
phys
"In the Namib Desert of Africa, the fog-filled morning wind carries the drinking water for a beetle called the Stenocara. iny droplets collect on the beetle's bumpy back. The areas between the bumps are covered in a waxy substance that makes them water-repellant, or hydrophobic (water-fearing). Water accumulates on the water-loving, or hydrophilic, bumps, forming droplets that eventually grow too big to stay put, then roll down the waxy surface. [...] More than a decade ago, news of this creature's efficient water collection system inspired engineers to try and reproduce these surfaces in the lab. Small-scale advances in fluid physics, materials engineering and nanoscience since that time have brought them close to succeeding."
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"An MIT mathematician and a celebrity chef have combined talents to create two culinary novelties inspired by nature. John Bush, a professor of applied mathematics, and renowned Spanish chef José Andrés have designed a cocktail accessory and a palate cleanser based on the mechanics of water bugs and water lilies, respectively."
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