Dr. Percival “Perce” Powles, is a professor emeritus at Trent University in Peterborough, Ontario, Canada. He received his Ph. D. in biology from McGill University in Montreal. Perce retired from Trent University in 1995. Perce’s interest in ichthyology focused on the early life history of freshwater and marine fishes. In 1985, he became acquainted with Stan Warlen of the Beaufort Laboratory and the Lab’s work with daily growth rings deposited on the otoliths, or earstones, of marine fishes.

Joyce was born and raised in Fitzgerald, Georgia.  She attended Trevecca Nazarene University in Nashville, Tennessee; then, she briefly taught grade school and high school in Fitzgerald. She applied for a biological technician position at the Beaufort Laboratory and was hired in 1955; she initially worked for the Lab Director, Dr. Chipman. Her Lab duties involved sampling fishes and invertebrates and rearing algae cultures for the Shellfish Section of the Lab. Joyce was promoted to a Fishery Biologist position. Later, Joyce worked for Dr.