Dr Stephen Chan

Research Interest

Stephen is a research scientist with a broad interest in animal population ecology, marine biology, applied conservation ecology, and research techniques that advance our understanding of the functional dynamics of free-ranging animal populations. His work is primarily field-based and uses large vertebrates, with emphasis on marine mammals, as the empirical model system. Stephen is particularly interested in the socio-demographic processes that shape animals’ daily lives and the dynamic connectivity both within and between populations, the socio-spatial dynamics and habitat relationships of free-ranging animals, and their viability and population-level responses to environmental change. As large vertebrates are often the sentinel species of their ecosystem, Stephen’s work offers empirical information that can be applied in assessing ecological health of ecosystem in conservation and environmental management.

Stephen’s primary research to date has centred on the coastal cetaceans in the fast-changing seas of Hong Kong and the larger Pearl River Delta region – one of the world’s most urbanised estuarine regions. This decade-long collaborative effort has offered valuable insights into the demographic dynamics and ecological viability of Indo-Pacific humpback dolphins (Sousa chinensis). He has also engaged in other projects, including the island-associated delphinids in central Philippines, Benguela dolphins off southwest Africa, and African terrestrial mega-herbivores. With his research techniques well-transferrable across taxa and habitats, Stephen will strengthen the School’s capacity in research thematics in such as the population ecology of cetaceans inhabiting nearshore waters off Gibraltar and the offshore environs, as well as the iconic Barbary macaques of Gibraltar.

Role

Stephen is a Senior Lecturer at the School of Marine and Environmental Sciences. As Module Leader, he is responsible for academic modules in the MSc programme in Marine Science & Climate Change and the BSc programme in Applied Marine Science.

Besides his teaching role, he serves as an Associate Editor for the peer-reviewed scientific journals Mammalian Biology and New Zealand Journal of Marine and Freshwater Research. He has also co-edited a thematic special issue that focuses on recent advances and novel applications of individual identification and photographic techniques in ecological and behavioural studies of free-ranging mammals, both marine and terrestrial.

Stephen was awarded the 2025 Pew Marine Fellowship, one of six global awardees, in recognition of his work in marine conservation. As part of the global Pew community, he engages with a collaborative network of experts to advance marine conservation through scientific research.

Selected Publications

Special Issues of Journals (Co-Editor)

Karczmarski L, Chan SCY, Rubenstein DI, Chui SYS & Cameron EZ (eds) (2022).  Individual identification and photographic techniques in mammalian ecological and behavioural research – Part 1: Methods and concepts.  Mammalian Biology (Special Issue), 102(3), 502 pp.  https://www.springer.com/journal/42991/updates/23466526

Karczmarski L, Chan SCY, Chui SYS & Cameron EZ (eds) (2022).  Individual identification and photographic techniques in mammalian ecological and behavioural research – Part 2: Field studies and applications. Mammalian Biology (Special Issue), 102(4), 583 pp.
https://www.springer.com/journal/42991/updates/24045190

Peer-Reviewed Journal Papers

Chan SCY & Karczmarski L  (2024).  Broad-scale impacts of coastal mega-infrastructure project on obligatory inshore delphinids: A cautionary tale from Hong Kong.  Science of the Total Environment, 920, 169753.   https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2023.169753

Chan SCY, Ho Y-W & Karczmarski L  (2024).  Reproductive dynamics of an inshore delphinid reflect demographic consequences of large-scale coastal constructions.  Biological Conservation, 297, 110690.  https://doi.org/10.1016/j.biocon.2024.110690

Chan SCY, Karczmarski L, Lin W, Zheng R, Ho Y-W, Guo L, Mo Y, Lee ATL, Or CKM & Wu Y  (2022).  An unknown component of a well-known population: Socio-demographic parameters of Indo-Pacific humpback dolphins (Sousa chinensis) at the western reaches of the Pearl River Delta region.  Mammalian Biology (Special Issue), 102(4), 1149-1171.  https://doi.org/10.1007/s42991-022-00335-2

Chan SCY, Chui SYS, Pretorius Y & Karczmarski L  (2022).  Estimating population parameters of African elephants: a photographic mark-recapture application in a South African protected area.  Mammalian Biology (Special Issue), 102(4), 1231-1247.  https://doi.org/10.1007/s42991-022-00334-3

Chan SCY, Chui SYS & Karczmarski L  (2022).  Application of multi-species photo-ID database management systems: a user’s perspective.  Mammalian Biology (Special Issue), 102(4), 1619-1629.  https://doi.org/10.1007/s42991-023-00345-8

Chan SCY & Karczmarski L  (2019).  Epidermal lesions and injuries of coastal dolphins as indicators of ecological health.  EcoHealth, 16(3), 576-582.  https://doi.org/10.1007/s10393-019-01428-0

Chan SCY & Karczmarski L  (2017). Indo-Pacific humpback dolphins (Sousa chinensis) in Hong Kong: Modelling demographic parameters with mark-recapture techniques.  PLOS ONE, 12(3), e0174029.  https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0174029

Karczmarski L*, Huang S-L* & Chan SCY*  (*all authors with equal contribution)  (2017).  Threshold of long-term survival of a coastal delphinid in anthropogenically degraded environment: Indo-Pacific humpback dolphins in Pearl River Delta.  Scientific Reports, 7, 42900.  https://doi.org/10.1038/srep42900

Additional Information

Academic Awards (selected):

• 2025 Pew Marine Fellow. Pew Charitable Trusts, USA.
• Brian Morton Memorial Postgraduate Prize in Marine Biology (2019). University of Hong Kong.

Editorial Contribution:

• Subject Editor, Mammalian Biology
• Associate Editor, New Zealand Journal of Marine and Freshwater Research
• Guest Editor (Special Issue), Mammalian Biology