Hauke is an ecologist by training working on the analysis of biodiversity developments, population dynamics and ecosystem processes in coastal marine systems. His focus is on development and application of different modelling approaches with an emphasis on spatial explicit methods to analyse ecosystem functioning and community dynamics. This includes modelling of cross scale issues, risk assessment of environmental impact of anthropogenic activities, changes in land use, feedback processes between these systems and sustainable management of natural resources. A core research area is on modelling the reactions of coral reefs to different environmental impacts and intensive harvesting and on potential management actions. He is also interested in theoretical ecology with an emphasis on self-organisation processes, e.g. the relationship between individual traits and population dynamics, trophic interactions and food web structure. Since 2008 he is the head of the work group 'Spatial ecology and interactions' at the Leibniz Centre for Tropical Marine Research  in Bremen, Germany and also lecturing at the University of Bremen (MSc programs International Studies in Aquatic Ecology (ISATEC), Marine Biology and Ecology).