I work on the economics of social-ecological systems (SES). Whether SES are sustainably managed or overexploited depends profoundly on the institutional system (formal laws and informal social norms) that couples the natural and the socioeconomic system. In my research I disentangle the two-way feedbacks between humans and nature by using i) theoretical modeling, ii) empirical analyses, and iii) economic experiments. My main field of scientific interest includes social complexity in resource management, in particular the evolution of social norms and cooperation, but also the governance of marine systems.