Dr. Inez Flameling

I grew up in the beautiful little town of Zierikzee, close to the Eastern Scheldt and the North Sea. As a child I was always swimming, sailing, camping and hiking. That’s why I became a marine biologist. I obtained my Ph.D. at the Netherlands Institute for Sea Research in Yerseke on the adaptation of marine microalgae to fluctuating irradiances. Part of the work for this thesis was carried out at the Brookhaven National Laboratory in New York.

Afterwards I worked as a science communication officer for the Netherlands Institute of Ecology, and as Policy Advisor for the Ministry of Transport, Public Works and Water management in the Hague. However, though working on corporate organization was interesting, I longed back to my marine biology roots, so in 2003 I started my own dive company/nature education center “Oceanus”. With this company I set up a series of PADI marine biology courses, a marine biology snorkling/diving program for SNP Nature Travels and kids nature education activities for National park Eastern Scheldt.

Since 2020 I am an active politician for the provincial parliament and spokesperson for climate and energy, environmental issues, water, fisheries and aquaculture. I also work as a political trainer in developing democracies and trained as a filmmaker, mainly with the goal to use film as a means to spread environmental awareness.

At UCR I teach marine biology, climate change and documentary studies, as well as a special course on misinformation.