Harald Yurk

Experienced leader with strong background in guiding teams, managing complex projects, and achieving strategic objectives. Excels in developing efficient processes, ensuring high standards, and aligning efforts with organizational goals. Known for collaborative approach and commitment to excellence.

• Collaborated with a team of physicists, engineers, computer scientists and biologists in the development and application of novel technological approaches to environmental impact assessment and mitigation strategies.

• Selected Articles and Book Chapters
• Mouy, X., Austin, M., Wladichuk, J., & Yurk, H. (2025). Modeling the detection range of pulsed calls from resident killer whale in nearshore waters of British Columbia, Canada. PLoS One, 20(9), e0331942.
• Yurk, H. O'Neill, C. Quayle, L., Vagle, S, Mouy, X., Austin, M., Wladichuk, J., Morrision, C. and Leblond, WT.(2023). Adaptive call design to escape masking while preserving complex social functions of calls in killer whales. In The Effects of Noise on Aquatic Life: Principles and Practical Considerations. Eds. Popper, A., Sisneros, J., Hawkins, A.D., Thomsen, F. Cham: Springer International Publishing
• Vagle, S., Burnham, R. E., O'Neill, C., & Yurk, H. (2021). Variability in anthropogenic underwater noise due to bathymetry and sound speed characteristics. Journal of Marine Science and Engineering, 9(10), 1047.
• Yurk, H., O'Neill, C., Burnham, R., Morrison, C., & Vagle, S. (2021). Masking escape in killer whales, stereotypical call design as a noise impact reduction strategy. The Journal of the Acoustical Society of America, 150(4_Supplement), A251-A251.
• Allen, A. S., Yurk, H., Vagle, S., Pilkington, J., & Canessa, R. (2018). The underwater acoustic environment at SGaan Kinghlas-Bowie Seamount Marine Protected Area: Characterizing vessel traffic and associated noise using satellite AIS and acoustic datasets. Marine pollution bulletin, 128, 82-88.
• Cominelli, S., Denes, S., Yurk, H., MacGillivray, A., McWhinnie, L., & Canessa, R. (2018). Noise exposure from commercial shipping for the southern resident killer whale population. Marine pollution bulletin, 136, 177-200.
• Yurk, H. (2016). Interaction between learned and naturally selected features in the design of killer whale calls and their functions. Canadian Acoustics, 44(3).
• Filatova, O., Samarra, F.I., Barrett-Lennard, L.G., Miller, P.J., Ford, J.K., Yurk, H., Matkin, C.O., and Hoyt, E. (2016). Physical constraints of cultural evolution of dialects in killer whales. The Journal of the Acoustical Society of America, 140 (5), 3755-3764.
• Filatova, O. A., Samarra, F. I.P., Deecke, V. B., Ford, J.K.B., Miller, P. J.O. and Yurk, H. (2015) Cultural evolution of killer whale calls: background, mechanisms and consequences. Behaviour, 152 (15). pp. 2001- 2038.
• Filatova, O. A., Miller, P. J., Yurk, H., Samarra, F. I., Hoyt, E., Ford, J. K., ... & Barrett-Lennard, L. G. (2015). Killer whale call frequency is similar across the oceans, but varies across sympatric ecotypes. The Journal of the Acoustical Society of America, 138(1), 251-257.
• Ford, J.K.B, Yurk, H., Deecke, V.B. (2011). The Role of Acoustics in Defining Killer Whale Populations and Societies in the Northeastern Pacific Ocean, Journal of the Acoustic Society of America, 129 (4), 2605
• Yurk, H., Filatova, O., Matkin, C.O., Barrett-Lennard, L.G., and M. Brittain (2010). Sequential habitat use by two resident killer whale (Orcinus orca) clans in Resurrection Bay, Alaska, as determined by remote acoustic monitoring in Alaska. Aquatic Mammals, 36 (1), 67-78
• Matkin, C.O., Barrett-Lennard, L.G., Yurk, H., Ellifrit, D. and A.W. Trites (2007). Ecotypic variation and predatory behavior of killer whales in the Eastern Aleutian Islands, Alaska. Fishery Bulletin, Vol 105, (1) 74-87.
• Yurk, H. (2003). Culture in Killer Whales? In Animal Social Complexity – Intelligence, Culture, and Individualized Societies (F. B. M. de Waal & P. L. Tyack, Eds.). Harvard University Press. Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA.
• Yurk, H., Barrett-Lennard, L.G., Ford, J.K.B. and Matkin, C.O. (2002) Cultural transmission within maternal lineages: Vocal clans in resident killer whales in Southern Alaska. Animal Behaviour. 63: 1103-1119.
• Barrett-Lennard, L.G., Deecke, V.B., Yurk, H. and Ford, J.K.B. (2001). A sound approach to culture. Brain Behavioural Sciences 24: 325-326
• Yurk, H. and Trites, A.W. (2000). Experimental attempts to reduce predation by harbor seals on out-migrating juvenile salmonids. Transactions of the American Fisheries Society. 129: 1360-1366
• Technical Reports
• Yurk,H. Quayle, L.S., Burnham, R., MacConnachie, S., and Leblond, W.T. (2023). Evaluating the effectiveness of shore-cabled hydrophone networks as near real-time killer whale detection and tracking systems with special reference to DFO's Whale Tracking Network (WTN). Canadian Report of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences
• McPherson, C., Yurk, H. McPherson, G., Racca, R., and Wulf, P. (2017). Great Barrier Reef Underwater Noise Guidelines: Discussion and Options Paper. Document 001130, Version 1.0. Technical Report prepared by JASCO Applied Sciences.
• Heise, K., Barrett-Lennard, L., Chapman, R., Dakin, T., Erbe, C., Hannay, D., Merchant, N., Pilkington, J., Thornton, S., Tollit, D.J., Vagle, S., Veirs, V., Vergara, V., Wood, J., Wright, B., and Yurk, H. (2017). Proposed metrics for the management of underwater noise for Southern Resident Killer Whales. Coastal Ocean Report Series 2017/2. P.31
• Matkin, C.O., Saulitis, E., Ellis, G.E., Barrett-Lennard, L.G., Yurk, H. and Scheel, D. (1998 to 2004). Annual reports on killer whale abundance, social and genetic and acoustic population structure. Reports for the Exxon Valdez Restoration Project, Anchorage, Alaska, USA.
• Peer-reviewed Oral Presentations
• Yurk, H., O'Neill, C., Quayle, L., LeBlond, H., and Vagle, S. (2023). Natural Soundscape Variation Influences on Stereotypic Calls and Repertoires in Killer Whales. Acoustics 2023, Joint Meeting of the Acoustical Society of America and the Australian Acoustic Society, Sydney, Australia, December 4-8, 2023
• Yurk, H., O'Neill, C., Pilkington, J. and Burnham, R. 'What's with all the Buzzing ? – Propagation and potential function of short burst pulses produced by resident-type killer whales (Orcinus orca). World Marine Mammal Conference, Barcelona, Spain, December 2019.
• Yurk, H., Austin, M., Mouy, X. and C. O'Neill. The Effects of Ambient Noise and Propagation Loss on the Acoustic Detection of Killer Whales in Inshore Waters in British Columbia, Canada. International Workshop on the Acoustic Detection, Classification, Localization and Density Estimation of Animal Populations, Paris, France, June 2018
• Yurk, H.. Interaction between learned and naturally selected features in the design of killer whale calls and their functions. Acoustics Week-Canadian Acoustical Association, September 21-23, 2016
• Yurk, H., Barrett-Lennard, L.G., Delarue, J., Matkin, C.O., & Saulitis, E. Similarity and divergence among calls of Bigg’s killer whales in Western Alaska: an adaptive means to maintain cooperative cohesiveness across large regions? 21st Conference of the Biology of Marine Mammals, 13-18 December 2015
• Ford, J.K.B, Yurk, H. & V.B. Deecke: The role of acoustics in defining killer whale populations and societies in the Northeast Pacific. 161st Meeting of the Acoustical Society of America, Seattle, WA, May 23-27, 2011
• Yurk, H., Filatova, O., Matkin, C.O., Barrett-Lennard, L.G. Sequential habitat use of Resurrection Bay, Alaska, by resident killer whales as detected by passive acoustic monitoring. European Cetacean Society Conference, Stralsund, Germany, March 22-24, 2010
• Yurk, H., and Ford, J.K.B. Arbitrary syllable syntax variation in killer whale calls: A mechanism for rapid change in dialects to produce vocal contrast without social separation. Animal Communication Conference, Corvallis, USA, Aug.12-15, 2008
• Yurk, H. The role of vocal learning in fish depredation by killer whales. 1st International Symposium on Fisheries Depredation by cetaceans, Poet’s Cove Resort, Pender Island, Canada, Oct. 2-5, 2006
• Yurk, H., and Ford, J.K.B. Learned call structures may affect social structure and mate choice in resident killer whales. 16th Conference of the Biology of Marine Mammals, San Diego, USA, Dec.12-16, 2005
• Yurk, H., and Ford, J.K.B. Vocal culture in resident killer whales: A case for gene-culture co-evolution. International Mammalogical Congress, Sapporo, Japan, July 31-Aug. 6, 2005
• Yurk, H., Barrett-Lennard, L.G. & J.K.B. Ford. Culturally maintained kinship groups in killer whales. 26th International Ethological Conference, Tübingen, Germany. August 22-30, 2001.
• Yurk, H., Barrett-Lennard, L.G. & J.K.B. Ford. The essence of killer whale societies: culturally maintained kinship groups in a hierarchically structured community. Conference on Animal Social Complexity and Intelligence, Chicago, Illinois, USA. August 23-26, 2000.
• Yurk, H., Barrett-Lennard, L.G., Ford, J.K.B., Matkin, C.O. & E. Saulitis. Clan structure of resident killer whales (Orcinus orca) in Prince William Sound and adjacent areas. World Marine Mammal Science Conference. Monaco. January 20-25, 1998.