To understand the ocean’s changing conditions, we need new underwater technologies to collect data at relevant, high spatial and temporal resolution. My approach is to integrate three complementary techniques in bioinspired design to build energy-efficient ocean monitoring tools: using entirely engineered methods, ‘cyborg’ robotic constructs with live animals, and tissue engineering to build jellyfish muscle-based robots. Each method has advantages and disadvantages. To balance these tradeoffs, I will use all three in conjunction to deepen our understanding of biological jet propulsion and expand ocean drone technologies. This interdisciplinary project requires the freedom and creativity to integrate multiple techniques and explore an entirely new method, i.e, culturing jellyfish muscle cells, to tackle one big-picture question: How can we create tools (such as jellyfish robots) to study, explore, and save our expansive oceans at the appropriate spatiotemporal scales?