Photonic structures occurring in biological tissues such as butterfly wings, beetle elytra, or fish scales are responsible for a broad range of optical effects, including iridescence, narrowband reflection, large solid-angle scattering, polarization, additive color mixing, fluid-induced color changes, and controlled fluorescence. This book reviews research of biological photonic devices in accordance with the fundamental aspects of physical optics and environmental biology. It provides readers with an understanding of numerical modeling based on morphological and optical characterizations as well as the quantitative treatment of color vision. This forward-thinking book ties these concepts to the design and synthesis of bioinspired photonic devices and opens the door to applying nature's lessons in the technical world. This resource introduces a methodology for working with and utilizing bioinspiration. It includes the experimental and numerical tools necessary for the characterization and simulation of photonic structures and uses original concepts as examples, with a focus on bioinspired hydrochromic materials. Professionals are brought up to speed on a variety of fabrication techniques and methods of synthesis, all following a straightforward bottom-up or top-down approach. The reader will gain an understanding of the capability of bioinspiration to meet human needs. This book explains how natural photonics structures behave, for examples, as efficient solar absorbers or thermal management devices, making it a useful resource for technical professionals in fields related to energy and the environment, and the concepts presented also have applications in the design of optical coatings, sensors, and light sources. Book jacket.