William Cheung (scientist)

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William Cheung is a marine biologist who studies how climate change affects oceans and fisheries. He serves as director of science for the Nereus Program, is an associate professor at the University of British Columbia (UBC), and leads the Changing Ocean Research Unit at UBC.

Education and early work
Cheung earned a Bachelor of Science in Biology and a master’s degree from the University of Hong Kong. He then worked for WWF Hong Kong before completing a PhD in Resource Management and Environmental Studies at UBC. From 2009 to 2011, he was a lecturer in Marine Ecosystem Services at the University of East Anglia.

Key research and impact
In 2015, as director of science at the Nereus Program, Cheung led an international team that examined how two climate scenarios—global temperature rises of two and five degrees Celsius—could affect fish migration and marine ecosystems. The work aimed to inform discussions at the 2015 United Nations Climate Change Conference in Paris. The findings drew media attention; Cheung was quoted noting that the fish people eat in decades to come could be very different from today, and CBS News highlighted the call to reduce emissions and improve ocean governance to protect fish stocks.

That same year, Cheung helped reveal a gap between federal ocean policy and marine science, stressing the need for science-informed policy to manage living marine resources sustainably, especially under climate change.

He also co-authored a 2015 piece, “Boom or Bust: The Future of Fish in the South China Sea,” with Rashid Sumaila. The work looked at environmental, economic, and social risks to fish resources in the region and influenced later reporting by the BBC.

Policy and climate leadership
In 2016, Cheung co-authored a report warning that unchecked climate change could reshape fisheries in the Pacific Northwest, affecting First Nations communities that rely on them. The Washington Post quoted him on how climate change could make habitats less suitable for many culturally important species.

Cheung also works to connect science with policy. He has been a Lead Author for the IPCC’s Fifth Assessment Report (Working Group II), a Coordinating Lead Author for IPBES, and a Lead Author for the Global Biodiversity Outlook.