West Chester University (WCU) biomorphologist Frank Fish accepted a 2022 Ig Nobel Prize in a live virtual ceremony on Sept. 15. The Ig Nobels recognize science that makes people laugh, then think. Ten projects from around the world were honored this year.

Fish was recognized for his hydrodynamics research on why ducklings swim in a line behind their mother. By studying ducklings in a tank, Fish found that the birds conserve energy by formation swimming.

A professor of biology and founder and director of WCU's Liquid Life Laboratory, Fish conducts aquatic research, examining the morphology of swimming things such as whales and dolphins to determine how their fins and flukes affect efficiency, speed, and maneuverability.

A member of the WCU faculty since 1980, Fish has partnered with researchers from other institutions, including Drexel and George Washington universities and Shoals Marine Laboratory. His work has been funded by the National Science Foundation, the Office of Naval Research and others. Some of that work has been in the design for the propulsion efficiency of underwater robots such as, most recently, a robotic sea lion (created with Drexel), and other robots known as MantaBot and TunaBot.