Fark linked up news of an interesting new development in ship design:

While simpler in design than shark scales, the ship skin reduced bio-fouling by 67 percent in tests, Liedert will report this week at the Society for Experimental Biology's annual meeting in Barcelona.
...
In separate work funded in part by the U.S. Navy, scientists at the University of Florida have developed a similar coating, made of tiny diamond-shaped scales that flex in and out to impede the growth of organisms.

The cost savings over time could easily pay for even a comparatively expensive material, so look for fake shark-skinned ships coming soon to a dock near you!