Chloe Hatten

About ME

I am a conservation biologist and wildlife trade specialist working in Hong Kong with an interest in biodiversity loss and endangered species. I have over 10 years of biological research experience on marine and tropical biology, and I mainly focus on species that are threatened with illegal and unsustainable wildlife trade. I am fascinated by how humans and wildlife interact with each other, and how our choices impact wild populations.

I am currently a Postdoctoral Junior Research Fellow at Lingnan University, Hong Kong, and I hold a PhD in biological sciences from the University of Hong Kong (HKU), which focused on the trade and conservation of the critically endangered helmeted hornbill bird. I also hold a Masters in Research in Biodiversity, Evolution, and Conservation from University College London, and a Postgraduate Diploma in Applied Conservation Genetics with Wildlife Forensics from the University of Edinburgh, where I developed my interests in conservation biology and wildlife forensic science, respectively. I previously worked under the Conservation Forensics Lab @ HKU developing and implementing techniques to aid government enforcement in wildlife forensic casework. My research focuses on wildlife trade issues through a conservation and forensic science lens and I use range of tools in my research, from genetics, stable isotopes, morphology, online trade monitoring, and spatial modelling.

— OUTREACH —

I work best through collaborations, and I love bringing people from different disciplines together for a greater purpose. I also see outreach as a necessity for all scientific research! As part of the IUCN Helmeted Hornbill Working Group, the IUCN Hornbill Working Group, and the Society for Wildlife Forensic Science, I have organised webinars and workshops, and am open to share my work through invited talks.

In 2024, I was Chief Organiser of the first international Interdisciplinary Conversations on Wildlife Trade (ICWT) conference in Hong Kong. This conference was aimed at bringing together multiple disciplines and sectors within the field of wildlife forensics, conservation science, and law, to discuss issues and solutions to tackle illegal and unsustainable wildlife trade in Hong Kong. Alongside this, I co-curated and organised a month-long outreach art exhibition: Inherent Nature, with an amazing team including Wildlife Illustrations Hong Kong. Here, we reached >5,200 members of the public, showcased >100 artworks from local and international artists, presented a series of Science x Art talks, and brought together >60 artists/scientists to discuss wildlife conservation in Hong Kong. I’ve also had the pleasure of collaborating with A.L.A.N as scientific advisor on their incredible Spirit of Sumatra exhibit 2024 as well.

Apart from all that – you’ll probably find me either in the sun, in the water, reading with a good view, running a jewellery market stall for my husband’s side hustle, or enjoying some homemade beer and bread!

Get in touch

I am available for side collaborations and talks (public, school, or academic), and if you want to chat about any of my research interests, please don’t hesitate to reach out.

FELLOWSHIPS / Awards

RGC Junior Research Fellowship Scheme (JRFS) 2025/26, Research Grants Council, Hong Kong

Best Speaker in Asia & Second-Best Student Speaker
International Ornithological Congress 2022
Durban, South Africa

People’s Choice Award for Best Speaker
Ecology & Biodiversity Symposium 2021
The University of Hong Kong, HK