Sam Clarke
MA (Cantab), MSci, PhD, FGS
Cargo Scientist
Career Summary
An earth scientist by background, Sam has experience with a wide range of dry bulk cargoes. He holds a PhD in Earth Sciences from the University of Cambridge and is a Fellow of the Geological Society.
Sam advises shipowners, P&I Clubs, cargo interests and legal teams on a wide range of dry bulk cargoes and associated carriage risks. He has handled cases involving agricultural and industrial products including soya beans, sugar, coffee, cocoa, wheat, rice, oilseed pellets, mineral concentrates, industrial products and fertilizers. Sam has attended numerous vessels and carried out cargo investigations across the UK, Europe, the USA and Africa.
Sam has particular expertise in liquefaction risks associated with Group A cargoes. He regularly advises clients on compliance with the IMSBC Code, cargo declarations, sampling protocols and testing requirements. His experience includes attending independent laboratory testing programmes, assessing sampling procedures and interpreting moisture content and Transportable Moisture Limit (TML) test results from both operational and claims perspectives.
He is also a DNV/IACS-certified Hatch Cover Inspector, placing him in a strong position to investigate the causes of wet cargo damage.
Prior to joining Brookes Bell, Sam's doctoral research focused on the long-term performance of geological barriers for nuclear waste disposal. Working alongside the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority and the British Geological Survey, he developed a suite of experiments and models to investigate subsurface fluid flow and repository integrity. He has published in leading scientific journals and has presented his research extensively to both technical and non-technical audiences.
Background
Academic Qualifications
PhD in Earth Sciences (Cambridge University)
MSci in Natural Sciences (Cambridge University)
BA in Natural Sciences (Cambridge University)
Survey Experience
- Constanta, Romania; alleged damage to sunflower seeds in bulk carrier hold
- Liverpool, UK; hull survey of bulk carrier prior to loading scrap metal
- Newport, Wales; investigation following scrap metal fire in bulk carrier hold
- Kavala, Greece; sampling after in-hold drying of mineral concentrate cargoes onboard general cargo vessel
- Cocoa beans; assessment of causation and quantum of damage (Philadelphia, USA)
- Soybeans; survey of shore unloader following damage during discharge (Liverpool, UK)
- Soybean meal, soya hull pellets and distillers dried grains; assessment of alleged infestation (Liverpool, UK)
- Sunflower seeds; causation assessment (Constanta, Romania)
- Rice in bags; causation and depreciation assessments (Abidjan, Cote d’Ivoire)
- Mineral concentrates (zinc, lead); sampling after in-hold drying operations (Kevala, Greece)
- Scrap metal; initial survey following fire on board (Newport, UK) and pre-loading survey (Liverpool, UK)
Publications and Talks
- Clarke, S., Harrington, J., Norris, S. and Woods, A. (2025). Experiments on buoyancy-driven instability ahead of a dissolution front in a porous rock. Physical Review Fluids, 10(2)
- Clarke, S. (2025). ‘The dynamics of buoyancy-driven instabilities in reactive porous media’ [Presentation], G.K. Batchelor Lab Talks. Department of Applied Mathematics and Theoretical Physics, University of Cambridge. 2 May.
- Clarke, S. (2025). ‘Reactions in porous media’ [Seminar], Institute for Energy and Environmental Flows Seminar Series, University of Cambridge. 6 March
- Clarke, S. (2023). ‘Dissolution reactions in halite; implications for GDF safety’ [Conference presentation], Radioactive Waste Management Ltd Annual Conference. Leeds. 13 January.
Our Team
With experts from across the maritime and scientific worlds, Brookes Bell can help whatever your problem.