[6] In 2015, as part of his role as director of science of the Nereus Program, Cheung led an international team of researchers studying the impact of two potential climate change outcomes (global temperature increases of two and five degrees Celsius) on fish migration and its associated ecological consequences.

"[8] CBS News also reported on the study, adding that Cheung and his colleagues mentioned the world "needed to more aggressively combat rising emissions and improve ocean governance globally to ensure the fish we love to eat are not lost.

"[10] In 2015, Cheung published the article "Boom or Bust: The Future of Fish in the South China Sea" for the OceanAsia Project in collaboration with Rashid Sumaila, Research Director of the OceanCanada Partnership.

[11] The article, which analyzed the potential environmental, economic, and social consequences of threats to fish resources in the South China Sea, was the basis for a report on the state of fisheries consumption and impact in the region by the BBC.

Cheung was quoted in the Washington Post as saying "With unmitigated climate change, current fish habitats are expected to become less suitable for many species that are culturally important for British Columbia's coastal communities.